Star Wars: Darkness in the Light
by OpticalRacer
Summary: The crew of the Queen Valkyrie has found refuge from the Empire in the Corporate Sector & taken a hiatus from bounty hunting. Force-sensitive friends Ja'Ina & Kurloh & their R2 droid Fitty found an outlet in swoop racing. However, a terrible new enemy will reveal itself & the Empire's reach may be closer than the friends realize. Sequel to The Best Laid Plans. Set 1 ABY.
1. Chapter 1

**Darkness in the Light**

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><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_Hello, and thanks for your interest! This is the continuation of my serial story The Best Laid Plans, which is set one year after the Battle of Yavin. It's been a long time coming, but I wanted to have at least most of this story written ahead of time as I'm not good at writing on the fly in order to have a chapter or two done every week. So once I finished The Best Laid Plans, I started on this one._

_While this is more-or-less a standalone story, it really helps to be at least somewhat familiar with the characters and events of The Best Laid Plans, which begins one year before the Battle of Yavin. That story is an episodic set of six shorter stories, inspired by the way George Lucas presented the films (but only moving forward in time, no prequel business). For ease of reference, here are the URLs to each of those stories (minus the periods since FFN drops the entire first section of the address from the text otherwise):_

_Episode I: www fanfiction net/s/8366512/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-I_

_Episode II: www fanfiction net/s/8479640/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-II_

_Episode III: www fanfiction net/s/8647198/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-III_

_Episode IV: www fanfiction net/s/8771880/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-IV_

_Episode V: www fanfiction net/s/8904872/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-V_

_Episode VI: www fanfiction net/s/9098177/1/The-Best-Laid-Plans-Episode-VI_

_Of course it'd be really cool if you started from the very beginning if you wanted to familiarize yourself with the characters and situations I've created. :-) But if you don't want to go back that far, at least start with Episode III. Any later than that and you'll miss too many key points._

_Lastly, I want to acknowledge that while I created the characters and situations in this story, they reside within the Star Wars universe which was created by George Lucas, and is owned by Lucasfilm/Disney._

_Now, without further ado..._

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><p><strong>== Chapter One ==<strong>

The swoop slid side-to-side as the rider attempted to pass the opponent right in front of her near the end of the final lap. Traveling at just over 500 kilometers per hour, it took only the slightest nudge of the handlebars to clear a few meters of lateral distance.

While the track's horizontal width varied wildly throughout the rocky outdoor course, the race rules imposed a hard altitude limit of five meters, enforced by ceiling limiters installed on the swoops. This was, after all, supposed to be a ground-based sport no matter the actual maximum flight ceiling the machines were capable of achieving. In spite of the rider's superb reflexes, her opponent managed to hold his position and keep her from darting past in either axis.

It was at times like this when the rider would shift her approach and feel out the other racer's intentions. This made it much easier for her to anticipate their actions and choose hers accordingly. Some would say that this extra-sensory skill gave her an unfair advantage, but the rider didn't see it that way. After all, it was simply another skill she could use, and no one else needed to know that she even had that skill as long as she used it in moderation.

Her opponent glanced back and noticed her just off of his tail. He opened his swoop's throttle even more in an effort to leave her behind. Inside her fully-enclosed helmet, she simply smiled. She knew he couldn't keep up the wild bob-and-weave routine forever and was getting desperate as he hoped to finish in first place.

_All too easy…_

The rider enjoyed the myriad of challenges swoop racing posed to her piloting skills, and in this instance she wanted to give herself a little more of a challenge, given that many of the local racers were not all that good. She let her opponent gain some more distance before gunning her own machine's turbo-thruster.

The whine of the swoop's engine was near-deafening, but the rider's fully-enclosed helmet protected her ears from the noise and allowed her to focus more easily on the race itself. She never understood why so many racers, especially males, never bothered to wear any more protective gear than goggles and gloves when riding. Granted, at these speeds a helmet of any quality would do little more than ensure that at least her head would be reasonably intact for burial after a fatal wreck. But she appreciated having a face shield to protect her from dirt, engine exhaust and other small debris she'd have to fly through. Not to mention that it would be most unpleasant to have her teeth knocked out by a large wayward insect crossing her path.

Everything about the rider and her machine was about minimizing drag. Along with her sleek helmet, she wore a body glove that sheathed her petite frame like a second skin. While most swoops were designed so that the rider sat in more of an upright position, her custom racer was designed such that she actually leaned forward, almost horizontally, so that her body hugged the contoured top of the machine's fuselage.

Some would argue that the design was more akin to a speeder bike, but her ride still fit the general description attributed to swoops of being little more than 'an engine with a seat'. Except, rather than merely sitting atop the engine she embraced it with her entire body. Both the rider's suit and the swoop were black with accents of bright yellow lines which blurred the border where the rider ended and the machine began.

The rider contracted her thigh muscles, tightening her hold on the sides of the swoop as she gained on her opponent. When he realized she was coming right up on him again, he began to swerve in all directions in an attempt to close any openings she could exploit. However, his maneuvers were haphazard and random, which placed him at an increased risk of wrecking. While swoop racing tended to not be as dangerous as podracing, it didn't preclude the potential for lethal mistakes.

Stretching her feelings out again, the rider could sense panic in her opponent and could see his manic maneuvers before he even performed them. As he weaved to the left and down, she pulled up and right on the handlebars, causing the front steering foils to shift orientation and guide her swoop to the desired angle. She held her breath as she jetted past her opponent.

Then a warning fired through her mind. The other rider was about to swing back up towards her, though the clumsy fool didn't really know what he was doing at that point. She kicked the throttle harder to coax more speed from her machine before he could smash into her and take them both out of the race, and possibly out of existence.

The rider nearly cleared her opponent as he swerved her way, but his forward foils tagged the rear left quarter of her swoop, nearly hitting her foot. The impact nudged her angle to the left and she veered over the edge of the established track to fly over the rough ground that bordered it, which slowed her down a little bit. Carefully, she coaxed her swoop to straighten out and glided back onto the track. Her opponent wasn't so lucky. Trying to recover from the collision, he overcompensated and spun out of control. His swoop hit the ground and flipped numerous times. He was thrown clear of the tumbling wreckage before it exploded.

As she continued on, the rider could sense that her unfortunate rival miraculously survived the crash, but just barely. If he ended up pulling through, he was going to need a long stay in a med center, which would give him plenty of time to reconsider his racing career. Her relieved exhale broke against the inside of the tinted face shield of her helmet, nearly fogging it up.

With her opponent's demise, the racer ended up crossing the finish line in the distant first position, unable to hear the raucous cheering from the half-filled stands as she zipped past. While she was proud of her achievement, which added to an already-impressive racing record, her earnings were still disappointing. Since this was an insignificant race on an insignificant planet in the Corporate Sector, the purse was only two-thousand credits. But it was better than nothing, and a much better pay rate than she ever earned tending bar at Norrel's Haven back home far across the galaxy.

She pulled her swoop into the pit area and parked it in her assigned stall. The other stalls were still vacant as their riders had yet to make it back after finishing. After powering down the engine, she dismounted the swoop. While she was petite, she had well-defined athletic curves in her figure. The bright yellow lines on her black skintight racing suit further accented her attractive feminine form and gave the impression of speed even if she were standing perfectly still. An orange-trimmed R2 astromech droid rolled up to her.

"_An excellent performance as always, Ja'Ina_," the translation screen mounted on the astromech read as he emitted a stream of electronic toots and whistles.

Ja'Ina Anour unfastened the chinstrap of her helmet and pulled it off of her head. She shook her head to loosen her shoulder-length raven hair.

"Thanks, Fitty," she replied with a smile that filled her honey brown-complexioned face.

"_Still, I cannot ignore my concern for your safety every time you race._"

The young woman placed her hand on the top of the droid's domed head. "Don't worry too much or you might blow a fuse or two. Besides, I enjoy the rush. It really helps me feel alive."

Fitty slightly jerked his head from side-to-side. "_I will never understand the thought processes of organics. The concept of putting your life at risk in order to feel alive defies my logic circuits._"

"Then don't engage your logic circuits when dealing with us 'organics'," Ja'Ina said with a laugh. "And quit sounding like you're my father."

The astromech jerked back a bit with a squawk. "_If I were your father, then that would make you a cyborg._"

After reading the droid's reply, the young woman laughed out loud. "That's a good one, Fitty!"

"_My statement was not meant to be jocular._"

"Whatever," she dismissed the droid with a slight wave of her hand as she turned to inspect the collision damage on her swoop. She gave a sigh of relief. "Luckily, it isn't much worse than cosmetic. With some minor repair to the exhaust cowling and a little paint it'll be good as new."

"Hey Ina!" called a voice from behind.

Ja'Ina didn't bother to turn from her swoop to face the newcomer. "Hi Ku. Did you enjoy the race?"

"The holoterminal on my chair was glitchy so I missed some of the action," the Togruta replied as she walked up. "I did see that nerf herder nearly take your foot off though. The fool got what he deserved as far as I'm concerned."

Even though she didn't pilot the swoop, Kurloh wore a skintight racing suit that matched Ja'Ina's except that she also sported a belt around her waist, on which hung a holstered blaster pistol. The two women plus astromech made up 'Team Anour', though Kurloh didn't really do much other than offer moral support and give Ja'Ina any needed peripheral assistance. Kurloh watched every race from the stands with the rest of the crowd.

Fitty was the only real pit crew of the team since he had substantial data and on-board gadgetry he could utilize for repair and maintenance of the swoop. The astromech was glad to be able to help Ja'Ina with the racer. He found it more interesting to work on that than the _Queen Valkyrie_'s systems, especially since the custom CR-90 corvette hadn't moved since they landed on Yuulin several months ago. Plus he wanted to keep his photoreceptor on Ja'Ina, since she was risking her safety every time she raced. If anything were to happen to her, his systems would probably overload.

The translation device Fitty now sported on his cylindrical body was a welcome addition installed not too long after they arrived on the planet. It was very frustrating for the droid every time he had tried to communicate with those around him when they could not understand any of his electronic utterances. If protocol droids, especially the 3PO series, didn't annoy Fitty so much he would have wanted one around. Still, he found the translation screen a much better alternative, especially since it could be retracted neatly into a compartment in his cylindrical body when he didn't need it. No extra space was required for another droid.

As the other racers began to arrive, the trio left their pit stall and went over to the track owner's office to collect Ja'Ina's winnings. The office was small and unkempt, as was the track owner himself, a middle-aged human named Kath Ulundo. He was a man who was nothing as he seemed. While he was sloppy right down to his long messy mop of grey hair, he kept complete and accurate records and documentation for administering his races.

"Come in, come in," Kath greeted his visitors with a partially-toothed smile. "Ja'Ina my dear, congratulations on another win! You're _almost_ always a sure thing for first place." He handed the young woman her earnings, minus his percentage.

Ja'Ina chuckled, "Yeah well, nobody's perfect, Kath."

Truth was that she occasionally held back since even her limited abilities with the Force were more than enough to beat the local competition every time. She didn't want to call too much attention to her unique skills, or at least come off as some kind of cheat. The last thing she wanted was to attract unfriendly attention, even if the Empire was nowhere nearby.

"Still," Kath continued with a smile, "you're my favorite jet jockey, the best in all the CorpSec! I've made a pretty credit ever since you came along; you've drawn the biggest crowds I've seen in many a year. I don't think I could thank you enough."

The overall operation really didn't pull in a lot of profit in the grand scheme of the galaxy, but it was enough for Kath to support his simple needs. Most importantly, he had the distinction of operating the only swoop races on Yuulin, and that honor was worth more to him than all the credits in Emperor Palpatine's vaults.

"Well, I'll have to think of something, won't I?" Ja'Ina quipped. "See you next time."

"Bye, Kath!" Kurloh added.

Kath waved back at them as they left his office, smiling as he watched them walk out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**== Chapter Two ==**

Kurloh, Ja'Ina and Fitty made their way back home to the _Queen Valkyrie_, with Kurloh and Fitty in the landspeeder and Ja'Ina alongside on her swoop. Since the speeder cruised along at a much lower velocity than the swoop, Ja'Ina barely had to engage the accelerator to match speed. Kath's race track was situated just outside of town and the ship was parked near a forested area about fifty kilometers away.

The _Queen Valkyrie_ was landed in an idyllic valley surrounded by rich forests near the base of a mountain range. The pirates had also set up a small camp next to the ship consisting of a trio of decent-sized tents and a large fire pit. The Y-Wing fighter _Lucky Star_ and the small shuttle _Valkyrie-One_ sat side-by-side, parked away from the camp. The setup had the appearance of some kind of small gypsy town.

Still bearing the outward scars of the battle with the forces of the Empire, the corvette stuck out considerably from the natural surroundings. Captain Berini chose to forgo any non-essential repairs in an effort to conserve monetary resources. Besides Ja'Ina, only a couple of the crew had marketable skills for legally earning income, so every credit had to count.

Berini insisted that everyone keep their noses clean and take on only honest jobs – no bounty hunts like they used to do. After dealing with the Empire, and knowing what the Corporate Sector Security Police, or 'Espos', were capable of, she didn't want anyone to get into trouble.

Kurloh and Ja'Ina pulled their vehicles up near one of the _Valkyrie_'s landing struts. Rann, one of their crewmates, briskly limped up to them as they powered down the engines.

"Whoa, whoa," Rann said with a raised hand. "You can't park here! Take 'em over by the shuttle." She thumbed towards the small craft.

"Are you serious?" Kurloh asked with a chuckle. "They're not in anyone's way."

Rann jokingly scowled. "Does this look like a speeder park to you?"

Ja'Ina stepped up to Rann. "No, but you don't look like a traffic enforcement droid either."

Ja'Ina, Kurloh and Rann broke into a hearty laughter as they embraced.

"Is this what the Chief of Security does now?" Kurloh asked.

"Well Ku, I gotta have something to do around here," Rann replied to the Togruta. "I thought I had inherited a more exciting job from you."

Ja'Ina raised an eyebrow. "I suppose being stuck planet-side doesn't present many security issues, unless you account for the alak deer that stray too close to the tents!"

"But they're not intruders, they're dinner!" Rann fired an imaginary blaster pistol she formed from her hands. "Seriously, you win again Ina?"

Ja'Ina opened her mouth to speak, but Kurloh quickly butted in. "She sure did! Today's competition was as soft as a baby bantha's hide and as slow as space slugs."

"Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far," Ja'Ina countered with a shake of her head.

Rann smiled. "Still, you brought in more good money for us. Berini will be pleased as usual." She gestured up the ramp into the ship. "C'mon, let's go inside."

The three women with Fitty rolling behind them walked up into the hangar bay of the _Queen Valkyrie_. Though Rann's cybernetic leg was repaired good-as-new after the battle months ago, it still slowed her down on inclines and still sometimes hurt. She felt more accepting of the robotic limb now than she ever had, but still chose to wear a one-legged pant that fully concealed it while baring her flesh-and-blood left leg.

"Is the Captain holed-up in her castle keep again?" asked Kurloh.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Rann replied with a frown. "Not much has changed. At least she comes down periodically to let us know she's still around." She shook her head. "It's such a shame. It seems like there's nothing we can do to get the 'old captain' back again. Personally, I don't know if I can take much more of her depression."

Kurloh and Ja'Ina nodded in silent agreement.

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><p>Berini sat alone in her suite on the topmost level of the <em>Queen Valkyrie<em> reading old ship's logs, reliving what she perceived as better times – the bounties caught, the slaves freed, everything that she had accomplished with her crew over the years. She turned and looked out of one of the large transparisteel viewports at the beautiful wilderness surrounding the ship. Her gaze then drifted downward to the top of the corvette's hull, which still bore many wounds from combat. Berini sighed with a pain that emanated stronger than any words could express. Like her ship, her spirit bore many wounds.

The aftermath of the battle with the Imperial forces several months ago left Berini a changed person. For so many years, the Captain carried an inspirational confidence born from breaking away from her commission in the Imperial Navy and becoming a successful bounty hunter. But now, after losing so many of her crew in the fighting, she lost much of that confidence and had taken to hiding – whatever it took to keep her crew, her family, safe. She refused to place their lives into such jeopardy ever again.

Since the pirates arrived on Yuulin, the _Queen Valkyrie_ felt much emptier to the Captain. Between the crewmates who had died fighting the Empire and those who chose to leave soon after, the ship's complement had been cut in half, including the astromech droid Fitty. It was still enough to crew the modified CR90, but Berini felt the ship was just too empty, like a cold cavernous shell. This was the smallest crew she ever had since she first began assembling it over a decade ago, and the collective loss was a large contributing factor to the Captain's diminished confidence. As far as she was concerned, she had failed her crew; her sisters, her daughters.

Berini put the log down and took another drink of Corellian spiced ale. She knew that the liquor didn't really get rid of her pain, but she accepted the idea that it at least helped her disconnect from it, even if just a little while. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep for a while.

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><p>Ja'Ina returned to her quarters from the sonic shower dressed in a crop top and knee-length skirt. She would've bathed in actual water, but other than a small creek not far into the trees, the nearest water was a lake a few kilometers south of the ship. Her desire for a real bath was overridden by her tiredness and the hassle of leaving the ship again.<p>

The young woman lay back on her bunk and reviewed the race in her mind, which drew a disappointed frown on her face. Sure, she won once again but it was just too simple. Once she got the hang of swoop racing, which didn't take her very long, the challenge quickly diminished. She understood that it would be hard to find opponents who could really test her proficiency on an insignificant world, but she had no idea just how quickly she'd get bored of it. The accomplishment just wasn't satisfying anymore. She hoped that the upcoming grand prix would be more challenging.

Unfortunately for Ja'Ina, there was little chance for her to race anywhere else right now. With Berini's current disposition, it was uncertain how much longer the _Queen Valkyrie_ would sit idle on Yuulin. The only other ships at her disposal were the Y-Wing fighter _Lucky Star_ and the planetary shuttle _Valkyrie-One._ But there wasn't any room to transport her swoop in the fighter, and the shuttle couldn't leave the system on its own. If she were going to race on another, more populous planet, she'd have to find another way to get there.

Ja'Ina once had the idea of possibly chartering a ship or booking passage on a liner of some kind, but there just weren't enough extra funds to cover the cost of such travel. Her meager winnings were the largest and most stable income for the crew of the _Valkyrie_, and there really wasn't any to spare. She shook her head and sighed.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," Ja'Ina answered as she sat up.

Aurelia stepped through the doorway. "Hi Ina! I heard you won again today." The teenaged girl walked up and gave Ja'Ina a hug.

"Yeah, I did." Her light smile couldn't hide her disappointed tone.

"Oh c'mon, I think it's awesome you're a swoop racer." The teen could tell that Ja'Ina felt it was a hollow win. Even though Aurelia was not Force-sensitive, she always had a knack for reading people as if she were.

Ja'Ina's smile brightened up. "Thanks, I do like racing very much. I just wish it was more challenging."

Aurelia eyed her for a moment then spoke. "Just be careful what you wish for."

"You're right, of course," she replied, unsure of how to take the girl's words.

While Berini's spirit diminished in the last several months, Aurelia's flourished. She was growing into a stronger, more confident young woman. While she almost never left the ship when she was younger, she was now out and about much more often. She even watched several of Ja'Ina's past swoop races, which served as a big inspiration to overcome her timidity and boost her confidence.

Aurelia sat down with a bounce on the bunk next to Ja'Ina. "Now tell me all about today's race," she said with a proud smile.

* * *

><p>That evening, everyone gathered in the common room of the <em>Queen Valkyrie<em> for dinner. Berini was conspicuously absent; but it was an absence the crew was used to. In fact, it was getting to be an even rarer occurrence for her to join them for meals, which left Aurelia to bring food to the Captain in her quarters.

Aurelia was busy preparing the meal with Tira assisting her. Tira didn't have any technical or combat skills, but she found the perfect niche for herself working the galley with Aurelia. Her food preparation skills were modest compared to the teen's but she was a fast learner under her tutelage.

The diminished crew complement meant that now there was room enough for everyone to eat together at the same time. This helped maintain morale and camaraderie among the pirates in spite of Berini's gloominess. In fact, she hardly ran the ship anymore, which left that duty to Myrrna, her Rutian Twi'lek first mate.

Since Imperials' siege of the _Valkyrie_, Myrrna's acerbic demeanor had softened somewhat. The serious leg wound she had sustained during the siege left a new pronounced scar on her deep purple skin, adding to the one that ran down the length of her right lekku. The injury permanently diminished the use of her leg, not to the point of uselessness but she now walked with a conspicuous limp, a blemish on her otherwise strong physique. The experience humbled her for the first time since she had escaped slavery years before.

Myrrna sat down at the head of the U-shaped table where Berini used to sit. "How are the repairs on the primary hydraulic lines progressing, Yurlya?" she asked flatly.

The Lorrdian chief engineer put her fork down and replied, "Good so far. It took some time to isolate the failure to the starboard intake pump; it's not too bad except for the tight crawlspace access."

"Well, keep on it." While Myrrna spoke with neutral terseness that was hard to read, it was a great improvement over the harsh attitude she used to always express.

"Ina won another race today!" Kurloh interjected to lighten the mood.

"Awesome!" Juun excitedly answered. "I think she has the coolest job of any of us!"

Ja'Ina chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly call it a _job_; it's more like a hobby that just happens to make some money."

Juun nodded. "That's exactly what makes it cool. The perfect job is getting paid for doing something you enjoy!"

"Yah, it beats workin' at a pub by a parsec," Taam added with a frown. "Especially with th' tiny tips I get."

"Don't knock it, Taam," Ja'Ina admonished the green-skinned Twi'lek. "I tended bar at a tavern for a few years and I found it to be a good learning experience."

"Whatever, Ina," Taam said just before taking another bite of her food. "I still miss bounty huntin'."

Rann took a chug of her drink. "Yeah, me too. While I like hunting animals for food, it's getting kinda old."

Tira chimed in. "Well, if I can add my two credits worth, I'm fine with our quiet life here. I've had enough excitement to last me quite a while."

"No one asked for yer two credits!" Taam snapped back. "You're not th' only former slave on board. I don't care what ya went through; some of us've endured worse _excitement_ than ya did."

Myrrna slapped her hand hard on the table, startling the others. "That's enough! It doesn't matter what anyone's been through! Until Berini says otherwise, we are staying put. Anyone who doesn't like it can leave!"

"Myrrna's right, everyone," Teedai, the normally-timid young Mirialan said in support of the first officer. "There's no harm with taking it easy for a while."

"Well, how long's a while, hmmm?" asked Taam in a mocking manner. "A year? Ten years? It's already been sev'ral months now! I know I'm not th' only one who's gettin' tired of this." The Twi'lek eyed the rest of her crewmates. "Right?" No one said anything, which irked Taam. "Well, I'm not." She leaned back in her chair with an annoyed grunt.

"You know where the exit is," Myrrna added, with a subtle edge to her voice. "You're lucky you can't be spaced on the surface of a planet."

"So there's still some of the old Myrrna we all love in there somewhere," Rann said with a laugh.

Myrrna couldn't contain her ire anymore. "Don't start with me again, 'borg!"

Rann had to fight hard against the anger she felt with the Twi'lek's remark. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to calm down. She knew that Myrrna was just trying to get a rise out of her, but that knowledge didn't help much.

"Myrrna, that was uncalled for," Kurloh snapped as she wiped off the small amount of food she dropped onto one of her head-tails. She didn't want Rann to regress into hating her mechanical leg again.

Myrrna ignored the Togruta and stood up from her chair. "I'll be on the bridge if anyone wants me," she said with a growl as she walked out.

"Nobody wants you," Rann angrily muttered under her breath.

Just then, Aurelia emerged from the galley with a tray of food and drink. Tired of all the negative energy she felt through the Force swirling around the dinner table, Ja'Ina quickly stood up and intercepted her.

"Are you taking that to Berini?" she asked the teen.

"Uh-huh."

"Here, let me take it," Ja'Ina said as she walked up to Aurelia.

"But she only wants me-" Her words were cut short when Ja'Ina grabbed hold of the tray.

Ja'Ina smiled. "It's okay, I'm sure she won't mind this time."

Aurelia thought about it for a moment then let the tray go. "Okay Ina. Go ahead, but just this once."

"Thanks, sweetie."


	3. Chapter 3

**== Chapter Three ==**

Ja'Ina arrived at the door to the Captain's quarters and rang the annunciator. She waited for a moment, but there was no answer. She rang again; still no answer. Worried, she reached out through the Force to check for Berini's presence inside. Ja'Ina breathed a sigh of relief when she sensed the Captain inside, but she couldn't quite tell what state she was in so she kept ringing the annunciator until she finally heard Berini's voice from within.

"Alright! Alright! Hold your karking hyperdrive!"

The door quickly slid open in front of Ja'Ina. "What the hell do you want?!" Berini yelled. She blinked a couple of times, squinting her eyes to see who it was standing in front of her. "Oh! Ja'Ina. Sorry about that, my dear." She spoke with a slight slur.

Startled by Berini's harsh greeting, Ja'Ina stammered, "I-I thought I'd bring you your dinner." She held the food tray up.

"Where's Aurelia?"

"I insisted I bring it do you this time, so she let me."

Berini raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, come in then." She sighed as she closed the door behind Ja'Ina and turned up the lights.

Ja'Ina placed the tray on the table and Berini sat down in front of it. The Captain bade the young woman to sit down with her. Her head slightly bobbed from inebriation.

"You realize that I don't want anyone else to see me like this, not even Myrrna."

"I kinda figured that, Berini. We hardly see you anymore, and Aurelia's been the only one to have been in your quarters for quite some time."

Berini gave a tired smile. "Either way, I'm glad that it was you to be the only other person to see this." She took a bite of her dinner. "Let's keep it that way."

"Of course," Ja'Ina replied with a slight nod. She let Berini take a few more bites before she dared to ask the question on everyone's mind. "So, how much longer are we going to stay here like this?"

Berini took another bite before answering. "The girls are growing tired of staying put."

"You know?"

"Just because you don't see me much doesn't mean I don't know what's happening on my ship! I may be down, but I'm most certainly _not_ out!" Berini eyed the young woman, annoyed.

"If I may be so bold… As far as the crew can see, you _are_ out. And I'm worried about what could happen."

Berini laughed. "Are you talking about a mutiny? That's nonsense. Everyone knows that they're free to leave any time they want. Sure I won't be happy about it, but I'll wish them well just the same."

Ja'Ina paused for a moment as she scanned the Captain through the Force. Berini used to maintain a mental barrier that made it difficult for Ja'Ina to read through, but the pain and loss of confidence had since broken that wall down and laid her feelings bare. It was the first time Ja'Ina really had an opportunity to see what was going on inside Berini since they fled the Empire. Tuning into the ebbs and flows of the Force, she found an emptiness within the Captain so large that it nearly seemed like an endless void. The sorrow and sense of loss washed over the young woman and she nearly got lost in the swirling sensations until…

"What're you doing?" Berini suddenly asked with her head cocked to one side.

Ja'Ina snapped out of her trance, worried that Berini knew exactly what she was doing. "Uh, just zoned out for a bit, I guess. I must be more tired from the race than I thought." _Did she feel my probing through the Force?_

"You were staring at me. You didn't blink your eyes for a long time, my dear. It looked like you weren't behind them."

Rubbing her eyes, she responded, "I'm sorry, Captain." Ja'Ina was relieved to know that Berini didn't realize what she was actually doing.

Berini smiled. "Swoop racing is a lot like starfighter combat. Even though nobody's shooting at you, it can be just as exhausting."

"Yeah, I suppose that comparison isn't too far off."

"Either way, I'm proud of you. Of all the crew, it seems like you've done the best for yourself given our situation."

"Don't use me as a reason to stay here indefinitely, Berini. If I want to keep racing, I can find opportunities on other systems."

The Captain raised an annoyed eyebrow. "Am I a _guerfel_, or did you just give me an order?"

"You're a _guerfel_," Ja'Ina answered with a nervous laugh. She wasn't sure how Berini would take her joke.

Berini stared at the young woman with a sour expression. After a moment, she broke out into laughter. "Your Old Corellian accent sounds terrible," she slurred.

Ja'Ina gestured back at her captain. "Well, look at my teacher."

"Okay, that's enough. It's time to go to bed." Berini got up and shuffled toward the bedroom. Turning back around to face Ja'Ina, she added, "Remember, all of this is between you, me and the luma-post."

"If I betray your confidence, you can space me."

The Captain shot a shaky finger at the young woman. "You've got a deal," she replied with an uneven smile. "You can show yourself out," she said as she turned around and walked unsteadily into the bedroom.

Ja'Ina walked over to one of the port-side viewports and looked out at the surroundings. It was pitch dark outside, save for a fire in the fire pit near the tents set up beside the ship. She could just make out a few of her crewmates enjoying themselves around the fire, and that sight made her smile. She left the lounge, deactivating the lights on the way out to join the others.

* * *

><p>The deep beats of the electro dance music blaring from the audio player offered a perfect complement to the lively crackling of the fire that bathed the women in flickering amber light. With the <em>Queen Valkyrie<em>'s ventral floodlights turned off, the flames offered the only illumination in the deep darkness under the starry sky.

Sitting around the fire was Rann, Kurloh, Teedai, the Zeltron pilot Mylyn, and Aurelia. The group was passing around a large mug filled with firebird wine imported from Bonadan. Even though she was only seventeen years old, the others shared a little bit of the lightly-sweet but potent potable with Aurelia. Berini wouldn't have approved, but she also didn't need to know about it.

Always happy to make himself useful, Fitty stood watch just beyond the firelight's reach, scanning the large clearing the ship rested in. He set his dome-top sensors to maximum range and his photoreceptor to scan all spectrums of light, even those not visible to most beings, to ensure that no dangerous wildlife came too close to his mistresses. Periodically, he'd spy an alak deer quietly munching on the grass or some small animal scurrying low to the ground, but nothing that gave reason to raise an alarm. Still, the astromech kept constant vigilance; nothing threatening would get by him. Yes, he loved being useful.

Ja'Ina entered the firelight among her friends to find them chatting and laughing. She started dancing to the music, performing hip thrusts with each step she took traveling around the fire. The others turned their attention to the impromptu performance and clapped along to the beat, which encouraged her to continue.

Aurelia sprang up amongst a round of cheers and joined her. Ja'Ina had since begun teaching the teen how to dance, which helped with Aurelia's confidence.

Aurelia and Ja'Ina spiraled around each other in the circle around the fire pit. Ja'Ina played with her flowing skirt, bringing it up to her hip as she spun, and the teen quickly followed suit. This elicited more cheering, which drove the dancing duo to step up their performance a notch.

Ja'Ina turned to face Aurelia and assumed what looked not unlike a fighting stance. Aurelia responded by dropping into her own similar stance. Without missing a single beat of the music, they both engaged in moves that were part dance, part martial art. The performers bobbed, spun, swept and jumped in synch with the music, much to the delight of their audience. While it was just a dance, the moves would also be effective in actual combat if they really wanted to fight.

Ja'Ina and Aurelia continued their routine until the current song was over. They bowed to each other while their audience applauded their entertaining performance. The dancers rejoined their friends sitting around the fire.

"Wow Arry, you're getting better all the time!" Kurloh commented.

Aurelia smiled at the Togruta. "Well, I have the best teacher!"

"Hey, don't put it all on me," Ja'Ina said to the teen with a chuckle. "You did most of the work! It's not _my_ fault that you have a natural talent."

The party continued late into the night before everyone broke for bed. Like most nights, Ja'Ina and Kurloh chose to sleep in one of the large circular tents. The tent was actually bigger inside than the regular crew quarters aboard ship. But what the two Force-sensitives really liked about it was that it allowed them to remain closer to nature and more connected to the living Force. This gave Kurloh and Ja'Ina a more rejuvenating sleep. Fitty dutifully stood watch right outside of the tent. He put himself into standby mode to conserve his power cell's charge, but his sensors still remained active. If the astromech detected anything abnormal, he would quickly switch back to active mode and handle the situation however he needed to. However, this particular night turned out to be uneventful.

* * *

><p>He strode slowly through the station alone in the silence scanning his surroundings. There were consoles with flashing indicators, holo-monitors displaying long-range sensor sweeps, even an unattended cup of still-steaming stimcaf sitting on a desk, but nothing living. It was a shame, because he still hungered and what he did find here was meager at best. He stopped and looked down at the dead Imperial junior officer at his feet. A dissatisfied frown formed on his angular grey-complexioned face as he studied the officer's frozen wide-eyed expression of terror. He flared the nostrils of his wide nose in disgust.<p>

_I thought the Empire used beings of more substantial essence than this…_

While it would suffice for now, he was far from sated. He found only seven weak-willed human males on board. If there were no more left on this remote outpost, then he needed to move on immediately. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses and searched the rest of the station. Indeed, he was alone. It was over all too soon.

He looked out a large transparisteel viewport at the lifeless rock of a planetoid the station orbited and sighed. Beyond it, he could see a distant, bright point of light that was the system's star.

For nearly seven centuries he had wandered the galaxy watching one regime after another come and go. He found this so-called Galactic Empire that has existed for only twenty years so far was a strange one. He watched as the millennia-old Galactic Republic transformed overnight into a militaristic autocracy run by beings of low constitution. It seemed that the only reason they were able to keep control was through sheer numbers; but he knew from what he had seen in his long life that numbers didn't always matter, especially if substandard specimens made up a majority of their ranks. He knew this puny Empire wouldn't last long.

One thing he despised the Empire for is that they had all but eradicated Force-sensitive beings from the galaxy. They were the richest of all sources, infinitely more satisfying than the pathetic insects he had found here.

He didn't expect to find this outpost at the edge of the Corporate Sector, away from most of the Imperial-governed territories. Traveling alone through many systems, he had encountered various sentient species of varying quality, most of them adequate but all of them disappointing. When he stumbled on this remote Imperial space station he thought he might actually have a good feed. But he was mistaken, and now he needed to move on before his hunger would intensify to a level he couldn't control.

He quickly turned from the viewport and walked towards the docking ring, stepping over the corpses of two enlisted men along the way. As he stepped back into his ship, he ran his fingers over his closely-shaven platinum hair then glanced back into the station before closing the hatch behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

**== Chapter Four ==**

A few weeks passed and the final swoop race of the season on Yuulin was about to begin. Of all the races each season this one drew the most racers and spectators. It was a bittersweet event for Kath since while the last race brought him the most profit the next season wouldn't start for another several local months. He had to find something to do with that time, and stretch his finances until the next season.

The winner's take for this final race was ten-thousand credits, five times the normal purse. Ja'Ina was already thinking of the one thing she'd like to do with the money, which was to travel to one of the more significant systems in the Corporate Sector and participate in larger, more profitable races. Bonadan and Etti were two such systems Kath had mentioned to her before. Since it looked like the _Queen Valkyrie_ wasn't going anywhere in the foreseeable future, the only way Ja'Ina would be able to race somewhere else to race was to get herself there by her own means.

Racers came from all across Yuulin and even from a few neighboring systems. It was the one race of the season that Kath really felt like he had a substantial position in the world of swoop racing. As with each season's last run, there were many more racers than there were places in the race, which was never a problem during the regular season. So Kath held qualifying runs in the days leading up to the race to determine which twenty racers would get to compete on his track.

Between her familiarity with the course and her Force-enhanced abilities, Ja'Ina easily managed to qualify for the first starting position. As far as Kath could remember, she was the first rookie racer to start in first place for the final race on his track, which impressed him greatly. Were it ethical for him to wager on the race, he would've put all his credits on her.

While some of Ja'Ina's crew mates would occasionally attend her races, this time nearly everyone was there to root for her. The only ones who stayed behind were Berini, Myrrna, Gartia and Mylyn. The captain and first mate were fine with not leaving the ship, but the com officer and pilot were ordered, under protest, to stay on board. The minimum crew of four was barely adequate in the event they needed to get the _Queen Valkyrie_ into the air.

Every one of the track's pit stalls were occupied by a racer and their team. The air was filled with the aromas of fuel and lubricants and the steady sound of idling swoop engines. Dressed in their matching black racing suits, Ja'Ina and Kurloh stood by in their stall as Fitty ran through his final verification routines on the swoop.

The astromech turned his photoreceptor to his team mates. "_All systems are well within established tolerances_," his comm display read as he beeped and squawked. "_You are clear to race, Ja'Ina._"

"Thanks, Fitty," Ja'Ina replied as she donned her helmet with the face shield open, which left only her nose and eyes exposed.

"_Please be careful_."

"Hey Fitty, it's _me_ you're talking about!"

Rocking slightly side-to-side, the droid added, "_That is what I am afraid of._"

Kurloh hugged her friend. "Good luck, Ina."

"Don't worry, Ku. We'll celebrate my win after the race, my treat!"

"Oh, so when did you learn the farsight skill?" the Togruta asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't need farsight in this case," the young woman replied with a chuckle and a wink.

Kurloh donned her comlink headset, tuned to the same private channel as Ja'Ina's helmet com. "We'll be in the stands with the others. May the Force be with you."

"Thanks," Ja'Ina said with a slight nod. She straddled the swoop and ignited the engine, which came to life with a smooth purr and light whine. She slowly pulled out of the pit and cruised to her place at the starting line under an overcast sky.

Most of the competitors were already at their starting positions when Ja'Ina took her place in the pole position. Ja'Ina's nerves elevated a little at the sight of the large number of opponents on the track – by far the most she'd ever raced against, and only a few of them she'd gone up against before. She took a couple of deep breaths and re-focused herself. Through the Force, she could sense excited anticipation from most of them, but a few exuded aggression, even malice, as if they would do _anything_ it'd take to win. She felt it the strongest as she pulled into her position. Reaching out to find the source, she noticed a reptilian Nikto sitting next to her in the number two position. His swoop was a Mobquet model, with a short body painted bright red and a long spar that positioned the steering vanes far out in front of the seat.

He glared at her and snarled, "Hey, girly! You better go home before the race starts! I'd _hate_ to see you get hurt!" He punctuated his taunt with a cruel-sounding guffaw.

Ja'Ina locked eyes with him. "Funny, I was about to tell you the very same thing!" She punctuated her words with a wink.

"I've taken first place in races across seven systems throughout the CorpSec! This measly backwater run will be no different!" He spat at the ground.

Ja'Ina simply smiled. "Well, I'll have to remember that!" She found the Nikto's aggression more entertaining than intimidating. She had no doubt that he was an excellent racer, but he could easily lose control if his anger dominated his performance, which she could take advantage of. But it could also make him more dangerous.

The Nikto let out a gravelly laugh as he turned his attention back to his swoop. The young woman sensed something that was blended with his aggression, but she couldn't quite distinguish it.

_I better keep an eye on that one_, Ja'Ina thought to herself.

From the front row of the stands, Yurlya watched as Ja'Ina pulled up to her starting position. "There she is," she called out to her companions around her as she pointed at the racers.

Aurelia jumped up out of her seat, waving her arms wildly in the air. "Inaaaaa! Hey Inaaaa!"

Juun grabbed one of the teen's arms and pulled it down. "Take it easy, Arry! Between the engine noise and her helmet, she can't hear you."

"But she can still see me!" Aurelia pointed toward Ja'Ina. "See?"

Juun looked over just in time to see Ja'Ina shoot a jaunty two-fingered salute to her friends before flipping the darkly-tinted face shield down on her sleek black helmet.

* * *

><p>Rann and Taam turned to leave the crowded wagering counter, having just placed the crew's collective bet on Ja'Ina. With her excellent odds they were certain to make a nice profit.<p>

As Rann spun around, she accidentally lost her footing with her cybernetic leg. Ever since the extensive repairs after the run-in with the Empire, her leg's performance was somewhat different than what she was used to and as such had to change the way she walked with it. Unfortunately, the muscle memory she developed from using the leg over the years would occasionally revert back and cause her to lose stability.

"What the karking-" she yelped as she stumbled. The servos whined loudly as they worked hard to maintain her balance.

She then felt strong hands grab both her shoulders, which helped to keep her from falling. "Whoa there," a male voice called from behind her. "You gotta be careful with that." He pointed to her fully-covered right leg.

"What d'you mean?!" Rann barked as she forcefully shook her shoulders out of his grasp.

"Your mechanical leg."

Rann's eyes went wide, taken by surprise with his comment. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" She nervously scanned around them. Most of the people nearby paid them no attention, but a few looked at her with questionable expressions.

Taam wedged her way in between them with her blaster drawn. "Step back pal or ya'll getta new hole burned in ya!"

The man slightly raised his hands. "No need to be rude, my dear Twi'lek. I know how bothersome cybernetics can be sometimes and was just concerned. Honest!"

Rann sneered. "And how would _you_ know that?"

The man answered by pulling back the sleeve of his jacket and exposing the inside of his left wrist to the pirates. He then opened a small panel revealing mechanisms that moved underneath the synthskin of his wrist as he flexed his fingers. He quickly closed his wrist and pulled his sleeve back down. Rann and Taam were definitely not expecting him to have a cybernetic hand.

Taam lowered her weapon and Rann's expression relaxed a bit.

"Thanks for your concern," Rann flatly replied. "But I'm fine."

"Of course you are; I never said you weren't." He looked her over, noting that the design of her pant left her other leg completely exposed with a bikini-type cut. "If you don't mind my saying it, I really like your choice of fashion. It suits you and _both_ your legs well." He followed up with a playful wink.

Rann blushed. "Th-thank you," she stammered. "Now if you'll excuse us…"

The man slightly nodded his head. "Of course. See you around." He specifically directed his friendly smile to her.

Rann took hold of Taam's arm and pulled her along. "C'mon, let's get back before the race starts."

"What was that 'bout?" the Twi'lek asked after they walked for several paces.

"I don't know and I don't care!" Rann quickly glanced behind her and noticed that the man was watching them walk away. She knew all too well the prejudice that some people in the galaxy held toward those with cybernetics in their bodies, be it replacements, enhancements or some combination of the two. That was another reason why Rann kept her mechanical leg hidden. She only hoped that the incident at the wager counter didn't catch the attention of any such bigots. The personal issues she had with the leg were bad enough, but to be harassed by others about it could cause unnecessary conflict. She didn't want to have to blast any closed-minded idiots if it could be avoided.

* * *

><p>Compact spherical holo-vid droids darted through the air to take their programmed positions along the race track; some stopped within sight of the main stands while most of them whizzed away to more distant places along the route. Through these droids, the fans could watch the race on holo-terminals installed in the stands. There were a various modes the spectators could set theirs to; such as following their favorite racer, following the lead racer or a specific stationary location on the route. The vid-droids were placed so that there were minimal 'dark' areas on the race course and none of the break-neck action would be missed.<p>

Besides the main stands at the starting line, there were several smaller stands spread throughout the course with fans ready to cheer the racers on as they flew by. Every set of stands was filled to capacity, and there were server droids buzzing throughout selling fans all sorts of food and beverage.

Aurelia took a drink of her Sullustan goo-berry soda as she stared intently at the holo-terminal. Right now, it was focused on the racers in the front of the pack at the starting line, with Ja'Ina prominently visible in the pole position.

"_Welcome, Gentle-beings of all species_," a voice blared from the public-address system. "_Welcome to the Yuulin Grand Prix, the final and largest race of the season!_"

The crowd erupted into a loud roar of cheers in reply.

"_Here are your top five qualifiers for today's event…_" One-by-one, the names were called out, and the named racer would wave to the excited fans in the stands.

"…_In the number two position, Ixhas Menter!"_

The Nikto next to Ja'Ina pumped his fists high into the air and hollered back at the wildly-cheering crowd. Their reaction clearly indicated he was a favorite of the locals.

Ixhas turned to Ja'Ina and wagged his finger at her. "Not today!" The reptiloid laughed again as he secured his goggles over his eyes.

Inside her helmet, Ja'Ina rolled her eyes at the pompous Nikto.

"_And in the pole position…The talented newcomer Ja'Ina Anour!_"

The crowd erupted into even more cheering, perhaps even louder than for Ixhas. He recognized the fans' response and glared at the young woman as she emphatically waved to the stands. His horn-accented face was filled with a contemptuous snarl.

Ja'Ina's heart pounded in her chest as the countdown commenced. She lay down into position on her swoop and gripped the handlebars tightly. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she held onto the confidence that she would win this race. Still, the increased number of competitors and spectators made things a bit more daunting for her. The constant revving of swoop engines crescendoed as the traffic luma began the countdown to the start of the race. Ja'Ina tried not to focus solely on the luma as it progressed through the colored sequence and instead fixed her eyes forward on the track that lay ahead of her. She gripped the machine with her body more tightly and revved the engine once more. The swoop's reply of smooth vibrations gave her confidence that it would not fail her. She just had to make sure that _she_ would not fail her.

…Red…Red…Red…Green.


	5. Chapter 5

**== Chapter Five ==**

Almost immediately, Ixhas and a couple of other top qualifiers overtook Ja'Ina's position, much to her dismay. She surmised that her swoop's turbo-thruster was not as powerful as those on some of the others'. She only hoped that her top speed was more comparable, especially since she managed to earn pole with her machine. Either way, Ja'Ina was going to have to work harder than normal if she was going to be a serious contender in this race.

"Ku, come in," she called through her helmet comlink as she sped by the stands.

As she stood watching with the others, Kurloh heard Ja'Ina's voice in her headset. "I'm here, Ina. What happened on the start?"

"Just remind me that we need to get an accelerator upgrade!"

"I see, I see," Kurloh said with a laugh. "Blame it all on the swoop!"

Ja'Ina simply growled through her teeth in reply. With the throttle all the way open, her only hope was in the turns, that she could take them more cleanly than her opponents. Unfortunately, she dropped to seventh place as she sped down the initial straightaway. She stomped harder on the already-maxed-out accelerator pedal, like it would magically coax more power from the swoop. _C'mon, dammit! Get the duracrete out!_

The distance between Ja'Ina and the leaders shrank painfully slowly as they approached the end of the initial straightaway. Making a quick scan through the Force behind her, she could sense that many other racers were holding firm in their positions. One wrong move and more competitors could overtake her.

Another benefit Ja'Ina found swoop racing gave her was practice with using the Force. Kurloh had always been impressed with the command Ja'Ina had over the Force, in spite of never having any training, or even being unaware of her connection before the two had met. Like Kurloh, Ja'Ina's skills lay in the more passive abilities, mostly with augmenting her senses and physical reflexes. While they knew that there were many other potential skills a Force-sensitive could learn, neither of them were able to figure out the more active abilities like telekinesis or mind tricks. Had the Jedi Spiaré remained on the _Queen Valkyrie_, he surely would've instructed them in those areas.

So, whenever she raced, Ja'Ina was able to exercise both her reflexes and senses through the Force and as such she felt her connection to the Force grow stronger over the last several months. In the end, she figured this was probably the best way to hone her skills.

Right away, the first turn was a dangerous one. It wasn't very sharp, but was defined by barriers of natural rock formations that jutted up several meters from the track surface. If a racer wasn't careful, they and their swoop could easily end up leaving a burned stain behind on the rocks. Being the best of the best, everyone successfully navigated the turn with only a subtle drop in speed. Ja'Ina had to fight the initial frustration as those in front of her kept their distance through the turn. She took a deep breath and pushed her body down as flat as possible on the swoop to further reduce any drag.

_Stay focused_, she thought to herself. _There's still time…_

The racers approached a stretch that opened up to a wide area that was broken up by several naturally-formed chicanes. Ja'Ina watched as Ixhas and the others in front of her scattered along their individual paths to slide around the large obstacles. She chose a particular course that she came to know like the back of her hand in the hopes that she could further close the gap. Moving along the guiding currents of the Force, she weaved in and out of the chicanes without any conscious thought. Her swoop responded perfectly to her commands as she pulled and turned on the controls, and hitting the sweet spots with every slide allowed her to keep most of her speed.

With her mind intensely focused on her path, she inadvertently lost track of the racers she was trying to catch up to. As she banked to the left after passing a particular chicane, one of those racers appeared as he was banking to the right from the other side. Ja'Ina nearly collided with the other racer, but managed to pull up just enough to clear over him. He screamed as she barely missed knocking him off his ride and for an instant lost sight of another formation that appeared right in front of him. With no possible chance to avoid it, he slammed head-on into it and died instantly within the fiery violent impact. Ja'Ina felt a quick stab through the Force from his demise, but she pushed to keep it from distracting her, lest she too get into a deadly wreck.

After clearing the chicanes, Ja'Ina could see she was now in fifth place. Ixhas on his bright red Mobquet racer was still in the far lead, but she knew what was coming up next. Ahead was one of the more challenging segments of the race course. It slalomed through a slot canyon where the ground continually rose and fell about a meter underneath the swoops. On top of avoiding the walls, here the riders had to be mindful of the altitude limiters on their machines – the maximum ceiling for the race was five meters. If a swoop broke past that limit, power to the engine would be momentarily cut. This could not only be the difference between first and last place, but also life and death as the racer would briefly become an obstacle on the track.

Ja'Ina steeled herself for entering the narrow canyon and suddenly two opponents streaked by on either side of her. Shocked, she quickly looked at her gauges. Unknowingly, she had dropped her velocity somewhat. As she recovered and opened the throttle, another racer zipped by.

Ja'Ina growled in frustration just as Kurloh's voice came over her helmet com. "Hey, Ina! What's the deal? We won't get paid if all you're gonna do is sightsee!"

"Noy jitat! Get off my back and let me race!"

Back in the stands, Kurloh chuckled into her headset. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were _racing_." The Togruta gave Aurelia, who was listening in on the exchange, a playful elbow jab.

"Sheesh Ku," the teen shook her head, "you're jabbing the nerf electro-prod pretty hard into her!"

"It's okay," the Togruta said with a wink, "Ina needs occasional reminders. I'm just having fun ruffling her feathers a little bit."

Just then, Rann and Taam joined the others.

"Did we miss much?" asked Taam.

Kurloh shook her head. "Naw, Ina's just falling asleep at the controls."

Aurelia jumped up. "No she's not!"

Rann rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should be out there instead, Ku. Besides, you're dressed for it anyway." She referred to Kurloh's sleek body glove which was identical to Ja'Ina's.

"Don't worry about her," Yurlya interjected. "She's still got two more laps to catch up. And it'll get easier as more of the others crash out."

Aurelia eyes went wide with fear. "Oh, no! I hope Ina doesn't wreck too!"

Fitty chirped at Aurelia and his display read, "_Given the available data, Ja'Ina's odds of not completing the race are approxi-_"

Yurlya quickly shot her hand over the screen before the teen could finish reading it. "There's no need to share such odds, Tee-Fifty."

Even though Fitty had spent much time working with Yurlya on the _Queen Valkyrie_'s engineering systems, the chief engineer never saw the R2 unit as more than just another astromech and thought it was silly that he had a name other than his technical designation. It always annoyed Fitty when she didn't refer to him by his name.

The droid let out a particularly heinous-sounding blat at her in response. Without bothering to read his translation display, she casually waved him off. He responded by rolling into her, causing her to stumble, which elicited laughter from the others as they watched the whole exchange.

* * *

><p>Ja'Ina entered the large leftward bend at the back side of the course, keeping her swoop tightly on the inside of the track as she struggled to catch up. She was still accelerating through the turn; she could see the speedometer steadily increment as it approached a reading of 500 kilometers per hour.<p>

At this point, the track was about 90 meters wide and very flat, though there were a couple of separate cliff formations nearby on the outside of the turn. Out of the corner of her eye, Ja'Ina spied a lone holo-vid droid floating mid-air just outside of the track. There were no stands in this stretch of the course, so spectators had to rely on this droid in order to catch any of the action on their holo-monitors.

Refocusing on the track stretching out in front of her, Ja'Ina could see a couple of competitors, and to her satisfaction she was slowly gaining ground on them. She licked her lips in anticipation of improving her position. She knew what was coming up, and it was a section she found to be easier for her. Hopefully, now she would be able to move up the ranks.

The track narrowed again and the foliage grew more densely around it. Ja'Ina gripped her swoop's controls more tightly as she jetted over the edge of the ground that disappeared with no warning, at least for those who weren't very familiar with the course. She dropped a couple of meters down toward the surface of a narrow lake, the swoop settled to mere centimeters above the water's surface, creating a high wake behind her.

Immediately, she zipped by one of her opponents swimming in the water presumably with his swoop deeply submerged somewhere nearby. Clearly he didn't properly navigate the entry to the lake and drove straight into the drink. He screamed at her as she shot by and was lost in her wake.

There were two more racers not too far ahead of Ja'Ina and she stretched her senses through the Force, not only focused on her adversaries, but also below the surface. She knew what lived in the lake, and she counted on the notion that the others didn't.

They were called lightning fish, named such because they moved very fast and had the ability to generate electric arcs from their slender scaly bodies. While the electricity wasn't lethal to most beings, it was enough to inflict excruciating pain on the target. The arcs also had a nasty effect on machines like swoops similar to a blast from an ion cannon, shorting out their systems and rendering them inoperable.

A lightning fish could easily jump two meters straight out of the water, which made them a serious hazard for the racers. Ja'Ina smiled as she sensed one just below the water's surface in front of the other racers.

Sure enough, a fish shot up right in front of them. The racer in the lead took a direct hit from the fish while the other was able to swing his swoop wide to avoid it. The lead swoop shut down, but its momentum carried it along for an extra distance as it glided toward the water's surface. Unable to steer it, the first rider began to veer into the other's path. The second rider desperately swerved to avoid the first, but the two swoops ended up smashing into each other in a shower of smoke and debris. Both riders were thrown from the collision into the water, knocked out of the race. Ja'Ina was now in third place.

_Four down_, Ja'Ina thought to herself. While she was pleased by the eliminations, she did regret the death of the racer back at the chicanes. She hoped that no one else would lose their life in this race, especially herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**== Chapter Six ==**

Among the crowd in the main stands, Ja'Ina's companions watched her progress with a mixture of excitement and concern. Through the holo-monitors, they saw the swoop riders who had crashed out dangerously close to her, including the one who lost his life. So far, Ja'Ina had crashed out only once, several months ago just after she started swoop racing. Luckily, she had managed to lay her machine down safely enough to minimize damage and injury. Even though the cost to repair the swoop hit the pirates' saved-up funds pretty hard, Berini approved spending the credits needed to take care of it. She had great faith in Ja'Ina's talents, and that faith was rewarded when Ja'Ina started winning purses.

As Rann was taking a drink of her ale, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. In a flash, she spun around and drew her blaster, dropping her drink in the process. Rann jerked back when she realized who it was.

"Hello there," the man from the wagering counter said with a smile.

"You again!" Rann yelped. "And you made me spill my drink!"

He glanced down at the broken bottle and splashed ale at his boots. "I'm very sorry! I'll gladly buy you another one."

"Damn right you will," she said, glaring at him as she forcefully holstered her blaster. "What do you want anyway?"

"I just wanted to talk to you some more; get to know you." He slightly nodded his head toward her.

Yurlya quickly stepped over to Rann's side. The strongly-built Lorrdian punched into her open palm, ready to pummel the man where he stood. "This guy bothering you, Rann?"

"N-no, he's not," Rann stammered. "It's okay."

Yurlya eyed him suspiciously then turned back to watch the race.

"Thanks for calling off your bodyguard," he said with a nervous chuckle. "Please believe me, my intentions are pure. Honest!"

Rann stared at him silently, letting her cynical expression speak for her.

"The name's Den. Den Berikko." He held out his right hand to shake.

She hesitated before reciprocating his introduction. "Rann Klepil." She lightly grasped his hand. His reciprocating grip indicated some strength, but he kept it gentle.

Den smiled warmly at her. "That's more like it. It's nice to properly meet you, Rann." He gave her a slight nod.

It was the most welcoming tone she had heard from a man since her father's so long ago, and she had to conceal the fact that she felt her heart slightly leap within her chest at the sound of his voice.

Rann looked at Den for a moment. She found him to be quite handsome in her eyes, with his short brown hair lightly peppered with premature grey on the sides, dark eyes and slender face. He was dressed in a light brown jacket with a tan shirt and black trousers that tucked into polished black boots. He also sported a blaster on his belt, and she wondered if he really knew how to use it.

A roar from the crowd around them broke Rann from her mesmerized gaze and she turned just long enough to see Ixhas pass the starting line as he shot by the stands. She turned back to Den, the race all but forgotten. He chuckled at her.

"W-what?" asked Rann, confused.

"You've been staring at me, and now you're blushing!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She was lying of course. She knew very well the feelings that were swirling around inside her, and they scared her. She didn't even notice the second round of cheers that rose up as the next racer sped by.

"Do you mind if I watch the race with you and your friends?" Den asked as he motioned to the others.

Rann swallowed hard. "Uhhh, I guess not. What would it hurt?"

"Nothing at all!" he answered with a laugh.

"Just don't do anything stupid or you will find _yourself_ hurting." She was half-joking, but she was still wary of Den just the same. She gazed at him for a moment longer; she couldn't believe that someone could actually be interested in her despite her cybernetic leg.

Without warning, Aurelia excitedly screeched, "There she is!"

Rann whipped around to see, but just missed the sight of Ja'Ina as she blew past the stands. She jerked her head back towards Den, shooting him with annoyed eyes. "Dammit! You made me miss her!"

"Oh," Den said with a start. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a friend in the race. She must've been the one you were betting on, no?"

"Yeah," she said with a sigh.

Den stepped up right next to her, almost too close for her comfort. "Here, let's watch the action together," he said as he picked up a holo-monitor. "There're still two more laps to go; plenty to see your friend."

"You're right I guess." Rann looked over at the monitor Den held for her. She quickly glanced at the side of Den's face and smiled to herself.

* * *

><p>Ja'Ina continued on into the second lap of the race, holding her swoop's accelerator at maximum. She quickly surpassed 500 kilometers per hour as she flew along the straightaway, but she could feel and hear that the engine was beginning to strain. This was by far the hardest race she'd ever competed in, and she pushed her swoop and herself harder than she ever had before. This final race would truly prove her mettle, assuming she would even finish it.<p>

She still held her position in third place, but could no longer see the two out in front. And to make matters worse, the main pack was not far off her tail and she could sense their similar hunger to catch up to the leaders.

As she traveled along, Ja'Ina once again entered the chicanes, and weaved through them with little extra effort. While she let her speed drop off a bit, she was still taking them significantly faster than the first lap.

After clearing the chicanes, another rider quickly overtook Ja'Ina. She watched with mouth agape as he shot past in a blur of speed. However, she could tell that he was pushing himself beyond his riding skills in an act of frustrated desperation. He quickly came upon the slot canyon, dangerously swerving and overcorrecting as he tried to line himself up to the narrow entrance. Ja'Ina had to fight to not squeeze her eyes shut as she anticipated his violent demise at the opening of the canyon in front of her.

Miraculously, he managed to safely enter the canyon, but there was one detail he apparently didn't take into account with his reckless speed. The floor of the canyon repeatedly rose and fell, creating an uneven surface to keep clear of. It was constructed that way specifically to test the racers' skill with maneuvering as close to the ground as possible. It'd be easy enough to pull the swoop up a few meters to fly clear over the humps, but that would violate the ceiling limit imposed on the race.

In a testament to his skill, the rider initially kept his swoop closely hugged to the slot canyon's floor, but at such a ludicrous speed he couldn't keep it up for long. The up-down rhythm he maneuvered with quickly became unsteady and he panicked, knowing that he would slam into the ground. Instinctively, he pulled up and quickly exceeded the five-meter altitude limit. The limiter instantly shut his swoop's engine down, but kept the control mechanisms operable. As his machine quickly decelerated, he steeply angled it back down toward the canyon floor. Unfortunately, this caused a problem for Ja'Ina. He was quickly dropping to the track right in front of her, and there were few maneuvering options for the young woman.

"_Kee baatu baatu!_" she yelled. In times of stress she would unconsciously blurt out one of the few Huttese curses she knew. In this case it more or less meant 'get outta my way!', but not in the nicest sense.

Watching the intense situation from the stands, Kurloh screamed over the comlink, "Ina! Look out!"

"I… Know!" Ja'Ina yelled back as she pulled up hard on the controls.

The g-forces pushed her body down even harder on the top of the swoop fuselage, making her feel like her weight had doubled. She figured it would be better to be temporarily slowed by the limiter than to be permanently obliterated out of existence.

Ja'Ina easily cleared the incapacitated rider and her swoop's screeching engine was silenced as she crossed the ceiling limit. She kept a calm mind as she leveled out several meters above the track and the swoop quickly decelerated from the loss of power. Using her temporarily-safe vantage point, she glanced down and behind her to watch for a safe spot to drop back down into the race traffic. To her surprise, the track below her was clear. Shooting another glance back, she noticed a wall of thick black smoke accented with shooting flames spanning the width of the canyon behind her. The other rider had become an impassable obstacle for the others behind him. Ja'Ina had no idea how many were caught in the crash, but she could feel that at least one fatality had occurred. Nonetheless, she was grateful for the wide opening and carefully guided her machine back down to the track.

She nervously watched her speedometer quickly decrement all the while anticipating the reactivation of the engine. _350…300…250…_ Sweat broke on Ja'Ina's brow, but she couldn't wipe it off inside her enclosed helmet. Suddenly, the engine restarted and the swoop took off. Though she had prepared herself for the restart, Ja'Ina still nearly lost her hold on the handlebars as the throttle instantaneously opened up.

Ja'Ina's swoop quickly accelerated, approaching 500 kilometers per hour once more. As the back bend of the track loomed ahead, a sharp warning through the Force stabbed through her mind.

Ja'Ina activated her helmet comlink. "Ku, come in. Is everything alright on the back bend? Something doesn't feel right."

After a moment of static, the Togruta's voice came through the comm. "I dunno. For some reason, we can't get a video feed from the droid out there."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Ja'Ina muttered as she instinctively eased off the accelerator a bit. "You sense anything?"

Kurloh briefly closed her eyes and stretched out through the Force. "I'm not sure, but something's definitely wrong out there. Be careful."

Ja'Ina nodded. "I will. Out."

Keeping her speed down somewhat, Ja'Ina cautiously approached the wide turn. She could feel the Force amplifying the sensation of danger throughout her being as she entered the left-turning bend. She quickly scanned the area, nearly missing the small, smoldering pile of junk near the bend's outside edge. Through squinting eyes, she focused on it and realized it was the remains of the holo-vid droid. Fearing the worst, she opened her swoop's throttle all the way and shot around the inside of the bend, hoping to get out of there without any problems. About halfway through the turn, she spied a wrecked swoop with its rider splayed out lifelessly not far away. At that moment, everything around Ja'Ina seemed to slow to a crawl.

Unconsciously guided by the Force, she pulled her swoop to the right, away from the inside embankment of the turn. A bright blaster bolt shot just in front of her high from the right side, striking the track surface where she had been just an instant before. The angle of the shot appeared to point to the top of one of the cliffs along the outside of the bend, which turned out to be the same location of the source of the warning sensations. The Force compelled her to swerve to the left and a second bolt missed her as a result.

Ja'Ina banked her swoop wildly as she anticipated each subsequent blast from her unknown assailant. "Ku! Someone's shooting at me!"

* * *

><p>Back at the stands, the announcer's voice came over the public-address system. "<em>The holo-vid droid at the back bend has unexpectedly malfunctioned, making it impossible to watch the race through that area. A replacement droid has been dispatched and will resume coverage at that point in a few minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience…<em>"

Kurloh just received Ja'Ina's distress call over the comlink. "It's not just an inconvenience, Ina's under attack!" she yelled. She now felt the sensation more distinctly through the Force. "Taam, Yurlya, Juun, get out there now!"

"We're on our way," Juun answered.

Rann quickly stepped away from Den. "Me too!"

Confused, Den looked at Rann and her companions. "What's going on?"

Taam glared at him as she darted past. "None-a yer karkin' business!"

"No need to be rude, my good Twi'lek."

Being the slowest with her mechanical leg, Rann was the last one to pass Den. She shot him a worried look that he read as a request for help.

Kurloh yelled into her comlink headset, "Hang on Ina! Help's on the way!"

Den took that as a cue to follow after the others. He was certain he could be of assistance.


	7. Chapter 7

**== Chapter Seven ==**

Rann, Yurlya, Taam and Juun loaded into the landspeeder and took off for the back bend. It would take some time to get there, but should be before Ja'Ina came back around for the third and final lap.

Rann activated her comlink, tuned to Ja'Ina's frequency. "Ina, you still with us?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," Ja'Ina answered with an unnerved quaver in her voice. "I just left the bend, but I'm sure that jitat'en sniper will still be waiting for me on the next lap!"

Rann shot a concerned glance at her companions. "Just you worry about the race. We'll take care of that shooter!"

"Thanks, Rann." Ja'Ina's tone was clearly more relaxed.

"No problem. We're looking forward to some _real_ action!"

Ja'Ina could practically hear the smile on Rann's face. "Cute…"

* * *

><p>After some time, Ja'Ina shot past the main stands at top speed, entering into the third and final lap. She felt Ixhas' presence still a considerable distance ahead of her, but at least the other remaining racers were so far behind that they were no longer a concern.<p>

"Go Ina, go!" Kurloh chanted into her comlink.

Aurelia cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled at the top of her voice, "You can do it, Ina!"

Teedai sheepishly tapped the teen's shoulder. "Umm, I don't think she can hear you, Arry."

"Sure she can; just not with her ears," Aurelia retorted the Mirialan with a big smile.

Even though she was focused on the race, Kurloh picked up on some kind of resonant energies from Aurelia's direction. She knew the teen for a few years now and knew that she had some kind of special insight, but figured it had nothing to do with the Force. Ja'Ina had also witnessed some of Aurelia's innate wisdom on a couple of occasions, but contradictory to Kurloh, she believed it was somehow related to the Force, even if it was only the slightest inkling. Kurloh turned her attention back to the race.

* * *

><p>Ja'Ina continued to push the mechanical limits of her swoop, anxious to catch up to Ixhas. She had to win the purse so she could book passage to another system and continue earning money through racing. Part of her also wanted to give the pompous Nikto a large piece of humble pie.<p>

Ja'Ina entered the chicanes, this time at top speed carried along around the rock formations on the currents of the living Force. She was so completely connected with the Force that she perceived the chicanes as slowly passing by her, making it very easy to maneuver around them. Never before had she so intimately and completely felt the true power of the Force.

However, the young woman felt omnipotent and invincible the one time she nearly surrendered to the dark side, when she slaughtered the Imperial officer who fatally shot her dear friend Soraa months ago. But what she felt now during the race was pure and true, and while she innately knew that the Force didn't really make her indestructible, it was enough to help her accomplish feats impossible for the vast majority of beings in the galaxy.

Anyone who was following Ja'Ina in their holo-monitors watched in absolute awe. They could see her weaving in and out of the chicanes at an impossible speed, and she appeared as a dark streaking object, imperceptible as a rider on her swoop. Even the vid-droids had a hard time tracking her as she passed by them. The sight was something that stretched the limits of belief, and that worried Kurloh.

Nobody, not even the rest of the crew of the _Queen Valkyrie_, knew that Ja'Ina and Kurloh were Force-sensitives, and the friends wanted to keep it that way. But right now, the young woman's performance could very well raise serious suspicions. And at the height of Palpatine's Galactic Empire it was dangerous to be a Force user; part of the Rebel Alliance or not.

Kurloh stepped a short distance away from the others and urgently whispered into her comlink headset, "Ina! You need to back down a bit! You're starting to look like a Jedi pilot out there!"

"I don't care anymore," Ja'Ina called back. "I need to win this one!"

Ja'Ina's about-face on maintaining discretion concerned the Togruta. "C'mon now, don't say that! You know very well what can happen!"

"Don't worry about it! Just make sure the others take care of that jitat'en shooter on the back turn!"

"Roger that."

* * *

><p>Rann, Juun, Yurlya and Taam arrived at the top of one of the cliff formations along the outside of the back bend. They quickly got out of their speeder and Juun produced a pair of macrobinoculars. She scanned around to get a good understanding of the terrain.<p>

The cliffs overlooked the track, which lay completely exposed from their vantage point. There were several similar, but disjoint formations that lined the track, and the shooter could be on any one of them. Juun scanned the tops of the other formations.

"See anythin'?" Taam asked.

"Not yet."

"The sleemo's gotta be around here somewhere," Rann growled as she drew her blaster pistol and double-checked the power pack's charge.

The unmistakable sound of a swoop engine reverberated along the formations, and the pirates looked down at the track, expecting Ja'Ina to be entering the bend.

Juun focused her macrobinoculars on the racer. "Relax. It's not Ja'Ina, but that Nikto in first place." She turned back to scanning the formations and spied some movement on the next formation over. "There!"

A dark figure moved as if he were aiming a weapon down onto the track. As Ixhas rounded the bend, the figure's aim followed him, but didn't fire.

"I don't understand," Juun said as she brought the macrobinoculars down. "The shooter had a clear shot but he didn't take it."

Rann raised her blaster pistol and took aim two-handed at the shooter. "The Nikto wasn't his target. That filthy mynock scum is waiting for Ina!" She drew up a bead on the shooter through her weapon's scope and growled in frustration. "That guy's gotta be nearly 200 meters away! I can't hit him from here with this." She lowered her blaster. "I need my T-28 back on the _Valkyrie_!"

Taam put her hand on Rann's shoulder, her eyebrow raised. "Ya' wanna go back an' get yer rifle? I'm sure the shooter'll wait for ya'." She mockingly laughed and drew her own blaster. "It's better to try than jus' stand here an' watch!"

"Wait," Yurlya blurted. "Is there any way to get closer before Ja'Ina gets here?"

Juun quickly scanned around the surrounding terrain. The shooter was positioned on the next cliff formation over, but was disjoint from theirs. "Unless we can sprout wings, it doesn't look that way. Taam may be right. Maybe we'll get lucky and hit that worm from here."

Juun was answered with a blaster bolt that struck the ground in front of her. The pirates scattered as more shots hit near them.

"I don't think the guy appreciated being called a 'worm', Juun," Rann quipped as she situated herself to return fire.

"Whatever," Juun replied. "Just start shooting!"

At her command, they all fired their blasters at the shooter. It did no good as he was out of the range of their pistols. He clearly had the advantage since his weapon had the reach to hit the women.

Rann's comlink rang loudly, but she couldn't answer it immediately. "I'm approaching the bend," Ja'Ina's voice came out of the external speaker.

Another blaster bolt struck the ground, raining dirt and debris on the pirates. "Dammit!" Rann yelled. She grabbed the comlink. "Ina! We found him, but we can't get to him! Be careful!"

"Understood." Disappointment drenched her response.

Just then, the shooter stopped firing on them and turned his attention back to the track. When the pirates looked down, they saw Ja'Ina enter the bend at top speed. Almost immediately, the shooter fired upon her. The others helplessly watched as she fought hard to avoid the blasts and stay on the track.

Rann pounded the ground with her fist. "No!"

Ja'Ina's frantic voice blared over the comlink. "Somebody get him! I can't hold out much longer!"

"He's gonna blast her!" Rann screamed at her companions. Her eyes began to tear up in fear and frustration. "Can't we do _anything_?!"

Juun looked at her with an expression of hopelessness, silently shaking her head. Rann squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, visibly shaking. They knew that Ja'Ina was an excellent swoop rider, even sometimes exhibiting skills that seemed extraordinary. But having to outmaneuver someone who was out to kill her could very well be beyond even her exceptional abilities.

Taam glanced back over to the shooter's position. "Waitaminute!" The Twi'lek insistently pointed at him. "Look there!"

The others turned away from the track to see a second figure slowly approaching the shooter from behind. Juun quickly grabbed the macrobinoculars and focused in on the cliff top. "Rann, I think it's your friend," she said.

"What?! Gimme that!" Rann forcefully pulled the macrobinoculars from Juun's hand and took a look for herself.

She watched as Den walked up to the shooter and drew his own blaster. The shooter stopped firing on Ja'Ina, apparently alerted to Den's presence behind him. Rann increased magnification and held herself as steady as she could. It looked like Den was saying something to the shooter, and she wished she could hear it. The shooter slowly stood up and without warning spun around and pulled his own blaster. Den shot him down before he even had a chance to get a shot off. As far as Rann could tell, the shooter never stood a chance from his position and being an assassin he should've known that. Den picked up the shooter's weapons and walked down the other side of the formation out of Rann's sight.

Rann lowered the macrobinoculars and turned back to her friends. "Den got him. Did Ja'Ina get away?"

"Yeah, she did," Juun replied with a sigh of relief.

Taam looked over at the other cliff and turned back again. "Why'd he do that? Jus' who's dis' guy anyway?"

"You know about as much as I do," Rann said to the Twi'lek.

"Like how he's got a fake hand."

Yurlya and Juun replied almost simultaneously, "What?!"

Rann looked at Taam, clearly annoyed. "He has a _cybernetic_ hand. There's a difference."

Taam shrugged apathetically. "Whatever ya' say, Rannie."

"Is this Den a friend or foe?" asked Yurlya.

"Friend," said Rann. "At least, I think so."

The Lorrdian frowned. "You _think_ so? Either you know or you don't know."

Rann started to blush. "Well…"

"Ya have a thing for 'im, don'cha," Taam said with a playful chuckle.

Juun clapped her hands to draw their attention. "Enough of this, ladies. We need to get back to the grandstands before Ja'Ina gets there. We'll figure out this Den issue later."

"Good," Rann quickly snapped, happy to get off the embarrassing topic. She still needed to sort through the feelings that came over her when she talked with Den. She wasn't ready to share it with everyone else yet.

* * *

><p>Once the sniper attacks ceased and she cleared the bend, Ja'Ina maxed her swoop's throttle. Her heart pounded in her chest and her mouth was dry from breathing hard. The Force may have been with her, but she still came within a hair's diameter of dying. Now that the threat was over, she had to put aside her brush with death and focus on finishing the race.<p>

Ja'Ina could sense that the distance between her and Ixhas was slowly decreasing. However, celebration was the last thing on her mind. While there was still some time left to catch up before the end of the final lap, it was going to be a close one; assuming her swoop didn't break down before then. The engine strained and complained under Ja'Ina's relentless demand for speed. She could feel an occasional buckling from the mechanisms beneath her, and the engine temperature gauge drew ever closer to the red. Both signaled the imminent failure of the swoop, and that worried her just as much as the sniper did.

_C'mon, hang on baby!_

There was no way Ja'Ina could slow down now; not unless she wanted to stay stuck on Yuulin and stop racing altogether, eliminating the only substantial income for the crew. No, that was not an option. She owed Berini a lot for her support from day one, and Ja'Ina wasn't going to let her captain down.

She effortlessly flew over the lake, avoiding any more lightning fish as she continued to slowly gain on Ixhas' position. The next section consisted of a steep climb up a hill leading into a forested stretch at the top. At the base of the incline was another section of stands. Even though Ja'Ina passed by too fast to see and hear the wild cheers, she could feel the crowd's excited energy through the Force, and it made her smile.

The incline was steep enough that it clearly added to the strain the swoop was already under. The engine's smooth whine was now occasionally broken up by distressing stutters, and the indicator on small console warned her that the machine was nearing its mechanical limits. Still, Ja'Ina continued to push her swoop on into the forested area at the top.

This stretch was a bit of a recovery area after the stress of the lake run, twisting not too sharply through a wooded area before descending into the home stretch. Passing through the forest, Ja'Ina could pick up on the life energy of the flora and fauna through the Force. The energy penetrated her being, invigorating her so she could push to the end of the most difficult race she had ever run.

As Ja'Ina passed through the other side of the woods, she caught a quick glimpse of Ixhas as he began descending the other side of the hills into the home stretch. She gained new resolve as victory seemed like it was still within her reach. Ignoring the protests of her swoop, she pushed on harder than before.

The swoop began to yaw as it flew over the edge of the hilltop down the side, causing Ja'Ina to pull the controls against the lateral twist. She felt the controls push back as if they were fighting against her commands to fly straight. Glancing at the steering vanes in front of her, she noticed that one was twisted and burned, jammed toward the side. She watched as the other control surfaces adjusted as they should, but the one foil remained frozen in place. Ja'Ina realized that her attacker on the back bend managed to hit the head of her swoop, causing the vane to fail. She hoped that the others would hold up until the end of the race, especially since she was now steadily gaining on Ixhas.

One way or another, the race was about to be over. There was no way Ja'Ina would accept anything but first place, no matter what. Death was a possible outcome that should have crossed her mind. But it didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

**== Chapter Eight ==**

Through the holo-vid terminal, Kurloh could clearly see that Ja'Ina was starting to have problems with her swoop. "Ina, is everything okay?" the Togruta asked. "You're swerving like a drunken bantha." She was worried about the real possibility that Ja'Ina could lose all control of the swoop and be killed in the resulting crash.

"Not now, Ku! I need full concentration! I'll see you on the other side of the finish line!"

Kurloh frowned. "I hope so…"

Fitty let out a blat and worried-sounding descending stream of boops. "_My sensors indicate that in addition to the steering malfunction, the engine status is approaching critical. However, I do not have sufficient data to compute the time remaining before complete system failure._"

After reading the astromech's communication display, Kurloh asked, "'Complete system failure'? Is that as bad as I think it is?"

"_If you are referring to the potential for an explosion, you are correct._"

"By the Force, I hope that blasted thing holds together long enough!"

Teedai and Aurelia heard Kurloh's exclamation and feared the worst, though Aurelia was the only one who dared say anything. "Is she gonna die?!" the teen cried out as she tugged on Kurloh's arm.

Kurloh forcefully yanked her arm out of Aurelia's grasp. "No! She'll make it! She's not going to die!"

Aurelia stepped back from the frustrated and angry Togruta. In the past, she would have cowered away from Kurloh with such a response. But now her constitution was much stronger and she understood that Kurloh wasn't mad at her, just upset with the situation.

Kurloh turned her unblinking attention back to the terminal. _You've got to make it, Ina!_

* * *

><p>Ja'Ina continued to gain on Ixhas, who never once looked back behind him. In his arrogance he believed that there was no one even remotely close enough behind him to pose a threat to his win. She used that notion to push closer to him, and at the right time, to shoot past him for the win.<p>

Her hope of remaining undetected vanished when the Nikto shot a glance over his shoulder and spotted her right on his tail. He growled and turned his attention back to the track. Ja'Ina could sense his shock and concern, and she enjoyed it. His reaction convinced her that she still had a very good chance of winning.

Ixhas hit the accelerator, and likewise did Ja'Ina. The sounds of mechanical distress blaring from her swoop no longer registered in her mind. The only thing that mattered was winning.

Ja'Ina carefully watched how Ixhas drafted side to side in an effort to keep her from passing, watching for a pattern to the openings left by his maneuvers. To her satisfaction, she could read the tricky but consistent pattern like a cheap holo-novel. But she needed a precise combination of swoop performance and Force-assisted reflexes in order to exploit the openings.

Ja'Ina knew she could count on her connection to the Force, but her swoop was another issue altogether. She had to compensate for the damaged steering mechanisms to ensure that her machine would go in the direction she wanted it to, and it was fighting her all the way like riding a bucking bull nerf. The Force worked with living things, not machines.

A bright warning light flashed on the small console of Ja'Ina's swoop, indicating imminent engine failure. On a swoop, that usually meant that the machine would become an explosive fireball at a moment's notice. She had to act. Now.

_Just a little farther…_

Pushing her swoop to the absolute brink, Ja'Ina closed her eyes and held her breath as she pulled on the controls. She trusted that the Force would guide her past Ixhas and his wild swerving, and trusted that her swoop would hold together until the finish line.

An astonishing sight for the spectators, Ja'Ina's seemingly impossible maneuver barely made it around the Nikto. She continued to speed on ahead of him. Thick plumes of black smoke shot out from her engine and bathed Ixhas in choking hot soot and fumes. He swerved off the track coughing and gasping as he stopped his swoop to avoid a wreck.

Ja'Ina erratically crossed the finish line then immediately shut the engine down and engaged the airbrakes. The steering system had failed the rest of the way and she nearly collided with the wall of the stands before coming to a stop. In exhaustion, she rolled off the saddle to land hard on the ground next to the still-smoking swoop. Her companions all ran up to her and Fitty soaked the machine with fire-retardant spray. Kurloh knelt down and helped her friend take her helmet off.

Ja'Ina's honey-brown face was soaked with sweat and her raven hair was a wet matted mess. "Thank you," she breathlessly uttered.

Kurloh smiled back. "You did it, kiddo."

"Yeah, I guess I did. But I almost didn't."

"Let's not talk about that. For now, we'll revel in your win. C'mon."

She helped the young woman stand up, who cringed and yelped in pain when she put weight on her right leg. Kurloh held on to her friend and looked down at her leg. A tell-tale blaster wound had left a cauterized gash along the side of her calf visible through a slash burned through her tight racing suit.

"Looks like you weren't completely able to avoid that karking shooter," the Togruta said with a laugh.

Ja'Ina frowned. "Could you have done any better?"

"Okay, you got me there."

Kurloh, Teedai and Aurelia helped the champion racer over to the award platform. The pomp and circumstance barely even registered in Ja'Ina's mind, but she gave a slightly dazed smile when she received the trophy. Her friends helped her hold it up in victory as the crowd cheered.

* * *

><p>Later, back at the pit stall, Yurlya, Rann, Juun and Taam joined the others as Aurelia happily helped Fitty clean the swoop. Repairs would have to be performed later, after Ja'Ina officially received her winnings.<p>

Ja'Ina sat on a chair while Kurloh tended her leg wound with bacta-derived salve. The young woman twitched with pain as her friend tightly dressed the wound.

"Don't be such a whiny youngling," Rann quipped with a laugh. "You're tougher than that!"

Ja'Ina scowled back. "If you would've taken that shooter down faster, I wouldn't in this predicament."

"Well," Juun added, "_we_ didn't exactly take him down."

Simultaneously, Ja'Ina and Kurloh answered, "Huh?"

"What she means," Taam continued, "is it wasn't us. Rann's friend took 'im down!"

"He's not my friend!" Rann shot back.

Taam gave her a playful bump of the hip. "Why'd he help us, hmmm?"

Rann bared her teeth in a mocking smile at the Twi'lek, who simply laughed it off.

Juun pushed the two kibitzers aside. "Whatever his story is, he has apparently taken to some kind of liking towards Rann; enough of a liking to help us."

Kurloh stood up. "The guy at the stands earlier, right? He left just after you did."

"The nerf herder's lucky he didn't get himself killed," Yurlya said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "The sniper was no amateur."

Ja'Ina pointed to her bandaged leg. "No kidding. He nearly roasted me."

"Strangely enough, he didn't shoot at the Nikto as he flew by. He waited specifically for you."

"He musta been hired by th' dirty Nikto!" growled Taam. "We should go get 'im!"

"No," Ja'Ina said as she slowly stood up. "There's no way we can prove Ixhas was behind it. Besides, he lost and got nothing for his efforts. If he is responsible, then he got what he deserved. There's no need for more violence."

Kurloh smiled to herself. _Sounding like a Jedi again, Ina…_

Kath appeared at the entrance to the stall. "Ja'Ina! Congratulations, my number one jet jockey!" He walked over to her and gave her a big hug. "In all my years of managing this track, I've never seen such an amazing performance!" He glanced down at her leg. "Are you okay? I saw the shooter on the back bend; by the Seven Stars of Pletiss I was worried sick about you!"

"Nothing that won't heal in a few days, Kath.

"Good!" He turned to the others. "If you young ladies don't mind, I'd like to speak to Team Anour alone."

Rann grabbed Aurelia's arm and pulled her from the swoop. "We were just on our way out."

With that, the pirates left Ja'Ina and Kurloh alone with Kath. Fitty continued to run diagnostics on the damaged swoop. The three sat down.

"Well, another season's come and gone," he said with a sigh. "You're the first rookie to ever win the Grand Prix. That's an impressive feat even without having someone trying to blast you. You clearly have a strong knack for racing. I've not seen instincts and skills of your caliber for a very long time."

"Thank you for the ego-swelling complements, Kath," Ja'Ina responded with a tired smile. "Why do I get the feeling this is leading up to something?"

"Because it is!" He broke into a full laugh that tossed his mop-like grey hair around his head. "It'll be a few months before the next season starts up, and I'd like to present you with a business proposition; one I've never given anyone else before."

Ja'Ina placed her hand on her thigh. "I'm listening."

"I haven't seen anyone exhibit a level of skill such as yours outside of the races in the big systems. How would you like to travel to Etti IV and compete in the CorpSec's biggest races? The pay and the prestige would be much greater than you know."

Kurloh's head tails twitched slightly. "And what's in it for you?" There was a hint of suspicion in her query.

He smiled. "A third."

"What?!"

Ja'Ina put her hand on the Togruta's shoulder. "Hold on, Ku. Let him finish."

Kath continued. "Well, I'd provide you transportation to the Etti system, arrange your entry into the races and your accommodations. That isn't cheap, and I'm not about to put you up in some dive of a hotel. You deserve better than that."

"So you'd be our manager, then," Ja'Ina added.

"Yeah, that's right." He proudly nodded.

"No funny stuff?" asked Kurloh with a raised eyebrow.

"I swear it on the Holy Scrolls of Nedijia," Kath replied with his right hand raised.

Ja'Ina shook his hand with a smile. "I don't know what that is, but it sounds good enough to me." She didn't sense any sort of deception in the older man.

Kurloh too felt only sincerity from him through the Force. "Very well!"

Kath stood up. "Excellent! I know you young ladies won't regret it! We'll shove off in two weeks. I'll meet you at your ship. And don't worry; I'll take care of the swoop. Trust me it'll be good as new! Just make sure _you're_ good as new too." He winked at Ja'Ina.

"Thanks, I will."

"Now, if you ladies excuse me, I have much to do before we leave," he called as he hurried out of the pit stall.

Ja'Ina sat back in her chair. "Well Ku, here's the chance we've been waiting for. We'll make a pretty credit on Etti IV I'm sure!"

"Yeah, well I'm sure some of the others will be jealous of us going offworld."

"Don't worry about that. I get the feeling that Berini will come around soon and be ready to return to space."

Kurloh raised an eyebrow. "If that happens, what about Kath? We can't just leave him, especially with all he's doing for us."

Ja'Ina stood up, favoring her injured leg. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's get back to the _Valkyrie_ and tell the others our good news!"

* * *

><p>She walked alone along the street bustling with foot and vehicle traffic. Most of the beings around her were human or near-human, but there was still a wide variety of other species represented. Etti IV, after all, was the capital world and the crossroads for just about everyone who traveled through the Corporate Sector. Still, each and every last one of them was beneath her and she dealt with them only when she absolutely had to.<p>

To that end, she kept a low profile, ensuring that she did nothing to attract attention to herself. When she had to feed, she made sure to do it somewhere out of sight and ear, especially with the ever-present Sector Police, or Espos as they were often called. And right now she was getting hungry again.

She scanned the crowds she walked through, noting the various species that came into view. There was a human; a green-skinned Rodian; a hammer-headed Ithorian… Some were better than others, and she had to choose carefully from the wide selection. Some could put up more resistance while others were more malleable of mind. Some were more potent and satisfying while others were not worth her time or effort.

Draped over her rail-thin frame was an armorweave trench coat open in the front. Beneath that she wore a glossy black EVA skinsuit which utilized mechanical pressure to provide protection against low-pressure atmospheres or even a hard vacuum. She also wore a utility harness and a belt around her slender waist that held her blaster and various accouterments. Her long, straight, slicked-back hair was as black as her skinsuit.

Her senses tingled, which drew her pale grey eyes to her right. Walking along side of her was a young human female who couldn't have been more than thirty standard years old; a mere infant compared to her own half-millennium age. A slight grin broke across her pale narrow face and she licked her thin lips in anticipation.

_Yes, you will do nicely._

In spite of her hunger, she had to be patient. The time would present itself when this lowly human would be separated from the crowds and she could strike. She knew subtlety was the key when she was the nexu among the fold.

She followed her intended prey for a while until the young woman turned down a small side-street. She too turned down the side-street in her inconspicuous pursuit. Once she was certain the side-street was otherwise unoccupied, she sped up her silent stride until she was just a few meters behind her target.

"Excuse me," she called out, startling the young woman who then spun around to face her.

She continued to briskly walk up to her prey. "Can you tell me where I can find-"

Suddenly, she pounced on her unwitting victim, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in close. She locked her eyes on the young woman's before she could cry out, delving deep into her mind and injecting commands to remain silent and still.

She then firmly grasped her victim's head with both hands. "Shhhhhh…"

Though the young woman's facial expression screamed mortal terror, she uttered not even the slightest whimper as she helplessly met her fate.


	9. Chapter 9

**== Chapter Nine ==**

"Just who gave _you_ permission to go offworld?" Berini asked with a half-joking chuckle.

Ja'Ina sat up in her chair at the table in Berini's lounge and locked her eyes on Berini's. "Captain, it's the opportunity I've been looking for. What else am I supposed to do between racing seasons?"

"You have other skills besides piloting a swoop, my dear."

Ja'Ina frowned. "But nothing as rewarding, financially or personally."

"Don't get me wrong, Ja'Ina. I'm grateful for your contributions to our finances, and I'm glad you found a niche for yourself here on Yuulin. Thanks to you, we've got a decent stash of credits to last until the new season starts, especially with the income Taam and the others make. There's no need for you to go anywhere."

"That's not fair, Berini!" Kurloh interjected. "Ina actually finds something that is personally fulfilling and you just want to squash it?"

"Who said things have to always be fair, hmm? Remember that I run a benevolent dictatorship on my ship." Berini punctuated her words with a smug smile.

Ja'Ina briskly shook her head, recalling the 'benevolent dictatorship' argument she had with the Captain after she was first brought on board. "I don't want to go down _that_ road again…"

"The truth's the truth, my dear. And if you don't like it, you know where the exit is."

Ja'Ina wasn't expecting that kind of a response, and it nearly broke her heart. "Please don't say that, Berini. We've been through too much together."

The Captain leaned forward towards Ja'Ina at the opposite side of the table. "Believe me, I don't say that lightly. I grieved over each and every one of my girls who chose to leave since we escaped the Empire. I grieved for them just as I grieved for those who had died."

"But that's different," Kurloh said. "We're not going to leave you indefinitely. We're just going to travel to Etti IV for Ina to run in a few races there. Then we'll be back."

"How can you be so certain? You may find life there much more to your liking. I know you, and most of the crew, miss the excitement. I just can't stand to lose anyone else. As it is, swoop racing is dangerous enough and I saw how close you came to making the Final Jump today."

Berini noted the surprised expressions on Ja'Ina and Kurloh's faces. "Yes, I watched the holo-transmission of the race. I always catch your races when I can, Ja'Ina. I've just never told you. I didn't want to make you nervous." She gave one of her trademark matronly smiles.

Ja'Ina was confused. "But if you support my racing career, why won't you let me go to Etti IV?"

Berini stared at Ja'Ina, unable to come up with a reasonable answer right away. Deep inside, the Captain knew that it made no sense to keep the young woman from taking this opportunity that had been given to her. Still, she was deathly afraid something would happen to her. Berini decided to take that angle with her response.

"Ja'Ina, the races are much more intense on the more populous worlds. And I've already warned you about the Espos. While their presence is light around here, you'll find Etti IV crawling with them. Just give them even the slightest reason to haul you in, and you'll find yourself at the receiving end of some _brutal_ interrogation techniques."

Berini's warning was met with a pair of unconvinced stares. After a moment, she relented with a deep sigh. "You've got a point. I have no good reason for keeping you here." She stood up, her tall stature towering over Kurloh and Ja'Ina. "I wish you good luck, and we'll be here waiting for your return."

Ja'Ina sprang up and hugged her captain. "Thank you, Berini! I'll make you proud!"

"You already have, my dear." Berini smiled at the young woman. "Now get out of my quarters before I change my mind."

Ja'Ina excitedly turned and hurried out into the corridor, but Kurloh stayed behind.

The Togruta walked right up to Berini. "Y'know, you have no good reason for keeping _anyone_ here," she said in a low voice.

The 'old Berini' would've punched Kurloh in the face and frozen her in carbonite for her insubordination. But the 'old Berini' was gone, and it was not known when or if she would return. The Captain merely frowned and shook her head slightly in reply. If Kurloh didn't know better, she would have sworn Berini was on the verge of crying, a notion that was as inconceivable as a black hole spontaneously forming right outside the ship.

Kurloh turned and left Berini's quarters, feeling a mixture of disappointment and pity for the once-proud captain.

* * *

><p>A lone <em>Imperial I<em>-class Star Destroyer emerged from hyperspace within a forsakenly-remote area of space at the edge of the Corporate Sector; the nearest inhabited system being well over thirty parsecs away. While the Corporate Sector Authority was not an enemy of the Empire, it wasn't exactly an ally either. The CSA engaged in some trade with the Empire, who in return let the CSA maintain autonomous control of their territory so long as they didn't aid anyone who opposed the Emperor's reign. The Empire preferred to pool their resources toward crushing the Rebel Alliance, and so never bothered to annex the CorpSec. Even though the CSA was not aligned with the rebels, the rebels were known to utilize regions near the CorpSec to conduct some of their activities; hence the reason why the Star Destroyer was here.

The communications officer entered a lengthy sequence of commands into his console, and repeated the hail with a mixture of frustration and nervousness. He had received no responses to his hails and the last thing he wanted to do was get on the Captain's bad side for his failure.

"Status report, Lieutenant!" barked a voice right behind him, nearly causing him to shoot out of his seat.

The comm officer swung his chair around. "Captain, there have been no replies. I've tried all frequencies and got the same thing every time – dead air."

The Captain was not to the point of anger yet, just annoyance. Maybe they all were asleep, or deep in a heated game of Sabacc or just too _busy_ to do their jobs or at least pick up the comm. As these thoughts passed through his mind, his annoyance started to metamorphose into anger; one that wouldn't be satisfied until every one of them was stuffed in an airlock and ejected into the void, figuratively and literally.

He leaned down next to the comm officer and activated the communicator himself. "Imperial Listening Station Gamma-342, this is Captain Davege of the ISD _Prosecutor_. Come in." He paused for a reasonable length of time for a reply. "Three-four-two come in! This is the _Prosecutor_, you _will_ respond!" After a few more moments of no response Davege angrily punched the control to deactivate the comm. He stood up with a scowl and crossed the spacious bridge.

As he walked up to the wide forward viewport, Davege tugged down on his uniform's double-breasted tunic to fix the fit. Staring out over the _Prosecutor_'s wedge-shaped hull to the listening station beyond the pointed bow, he crossed his arms and ground his teeth in thought.

The station appeared to be perfectly intact. There were no obvious signs of damage from neither turbolaser nor torpedo. The large communication and sensor arrays that sprouted from the structure were still whole. Judging from the still-flashing marker beacons and the light visible through some of the viewports, the station still had power. It just hung there silently, orbiting a rocky planetoid that wasn't much more than an overgrown asteroid that was pulled into a distant orbit around an insignificant sun.

_There'd better be a good explanation for this, or there'll be hell to pay._

Davege narrowed his eyes in deeper contemplation. After a few moments, he spun around and briskly walked with long strides to the middle of the bridge where his first officer stood waiting for the inevitable orders.

"Commander Liegel, ready a TIE boarding craft and a squad of troopers. I will personally lead the team to the station. I want to throttle those seven men with my own bare hands!"

Liegel gave a quick nod. "Sir." He then walked off to carry out his order.

* * *

><p>Captain Davege spent the entire time of the short trip to the station thinking of all of the possible charges that could be brought against the station's crew. While he wanted to execute them right then and there, his strong sense of duty as a career navy officer overrode his primal urge to kill them on the spot. No, he'd make sure that the maximum sentence would be imposed on the insubordinates. It would likely involve their deaths anyway.<p>

Station Gamma-342 was a strategically important post isolated in a region at the edge of the CorpSec deemed too unimportant to thoroughly chart, but at the same time neighbored sectors that were known for rebel activity. An assignment on board this station might be completely uneventful, but the crew was still responsible for ceaselessly monitoring the area for possible threats. Constant vigilance was the key, and even a few minutes' inattention could allow an entire flotilla of rebel ships to pass right by. Boring as it may be, operation of the listening station was vital to maintaining Imperial control of the region. The crew must perform their duties with the utmost commitment. However, the station's last regularly-scheduled report to Sector Command was over a standard month overdue, and the _Prosecutor_ was dispatched to find out why.

The TIE boarding craft docked with the station and the airlock opened without the need to break in. The away team was relieved to find the atmosphere within the station was still breathable. Being a fearless man, sometimes to a fault, Captain Davege stepped into the station first. Forgoing protective field gear, he still wore his regular duty uniform but added a duty cap on his completely bald head and a utility belt with a blaster hung at his side. The Stormtroopers followed right behind him with their weapons drawn, concerned for the Captain's safety as they walked into the unknown situation. However, it didn't remain completely unknown for long.

Davege had to step over the bodies of two enlisted men almost immediately upon entering the station corridor. He drew his blaster and silently motioned the troopers to continue on ahead while he knelt down to further investigate the deceased.

The men bore no outward signs of trauma; no blaster wounds, no cuts or punctures, no burns or broken bones, not even a single bruise. If it weren't for their faces being locked in expressions of terror, it would've looked as if they were just peacefully sleeping. No, it looked like they had died within a nightmare. Many questions formed inside Davege's mind.

He holstered his blaster and stood up as a Stormtrooper trotted up to him. "Report," he ordered.

The trooper saluted. "Sir, all station personnel are dead. There were no apparent injuries, though there are some signs of a struggle."

"Do the security recordings show anything?"

"No sir. In fact, the security databanks have been completely ripped out of their consoles, including the backup systems. We're not even sure when this could have happened, other than some time after their last scheduled status report."

Davege sighed. "Gather up all of the bodies. We're taking them back to the _Prosecutor_ for further examination."

"Yes sir," the Stormtrooper replied with a salute.

While part of Davege was disappointed that the station's crew wasn't just screwing around so he could justify dealing with them himself, he was more concerned about the circumstances of their deaths. It didn't look like something agents of the Rebel Alliance or the CSA would do. In fact, it looked like nothing he had ever seen before in all his years in the Republic-turned-Imperial Navy. He hoped that the autopsies would provide some definitive information.

Once the dead crew was removed from the station, Captain Davege ingressed the boarding craft with the remainder of the Stormtroopers. Soon they'd be back on board the _Prosecutor_ and soon he'd have some answers.


	10. Chapter 10

**== Chapter Ten ==**

The entire crew of the _Queen Valkyrie_ gathered outside near a second, much smaller ship landed in the valley not far from the Corellian Corvette. The ship was a GX1 Short Hauler owned by Kath, which he had christened the _Fool's Pride_. The GX1 was originally built as a compact star yacht, but the middle-aged man had removed some of the amenities to make the 27-meter-long ship more utilitarian. He also improved the sublight engines' performance and upgraded the dorsal turbolaser turret to a military-grade level for providing adequate defense. It wasn't a very big or stylish ship, but it suited Kath well for his needs.

Ja'Ina and Kurloh had their belongings gathered at the base of the _Fool's Pride_'s entry ramp, eager to get underway. Their crewmates stood back a few meters waiting for their chance to say goodbye. Berini carefully watched Kath as he puttered in and out of his ship loading Ja'Ina and Kurloh's things. She didn't know what to make of the older man, but from his outward appearance he looked ragged and shifty. She didn't like the fact that he had a couple of missing teeth, and his sloppy mop of grey hair didn't help her impression of him either.

Ja'Ina and Kurloh walked up to their comrades and proceeded to say their goodbyes. They promised to return in about two standard months. Ja'Ina wanted to run just a few races to see what it was like on Etti IV. With the greater purses promised by Kath, winning a few races there would bring in almost as much money as the entire season on Yuulin did.

Aurelia approached with Ja'Ina's sheathed cortosis scimitar in her hands. "Here you go, Ina. I hope you don't have to use it while you're there."

Ja'Ina accepted the sword with a smile. "Of course I won't have to use it. But just in case…"

Indeed, Ja'Ina hoped that she wouldn't have to use the weapon. The last time she wielded it was when she killed the Imperial officer who had mortally wounded her life-long friend Soraa. When she struck him down with the scimitar, she was lost within her rage, lured by the power of the dark side of the Force. Deep in her heart, Ja'Ina had a difficult time separating the action from the object. She struggled with the notion that using the sword would cause her to fall again; perhaps for the final time.

While Ja'Ina never voiced those concerns, Kurloh could feel the struggle within her friend. One night a few months back, Kurloh confronted Ja'Ina about it and they talked about it for a long time. After their talk, Ja'Ina felt much better about the scimitar, which she had apparently inherited from her parents, whom she never knew. Still, the permanent stain on her being from touching the dark side of the Force hurt enough to serve as a reminder of what had happened.

Ja'Ina slung the scimitar over her shoulder and gave Aurelia a big hug. "Make sure you take care of Berini."

The teen smiled and snapped a playful salute.

Kurloh and Ja'Ina approached Rann.

"We won't be gone long," said Ja'Ina.

"I know," Rann replied. "We'll keep the running lights on for you, in case you get lost." She punctuated her quip with a smile and wink before embracing her friend.

Fitty then led Ja'Ina and Kurloh up into the ship. Berini confronted Kath, standing nearly a head taller than the older man.

She glared down at him. "You'd better make sure no harm comes to my girls, or I will personally hunt you down."

"I don't doubt it. But don't worry, Madame Captain. I will return them to you in better condition than they left in."

"That's right you will, Mister Ulundo." She put her hands on her hips.

Kath chuckled as he studied Berini's flashy pseudo-uniform. "Let me guess; ex-Imperial Navy?"

"Emphasis on _ex_," Berini gruffly added. She eyed him suspiciously. "How could you tell?"

"It takes one to know one, Madame Captain," he answered with a twinkle in his eye. "Now if you excuse me, we have an appointment on Etti IV." Kath tied his long hair back into a ponytail with some wayward grey locks escaping the tie to flop down either side of his face. He gave Berini a respectful nod and walked up the _Fool's Pride_'s ramp.

* * *

><p>The internal layout of the <em>Fool's Pride<em> was not spacious by any means, but suited Kath well. His modifications did actually create a few extra square meters of usable space by removing some of the unnecessary amenities that came with a stock GX1.

The starboard side of the ship housed the narrow cargo bay, in which sat Ja'Ina's swoop, repaired and now sporting a more powerful accelerator. The center of the main hold housed a small galley, a refresher and an array of supply cabinets for the various items necessary to support travel that could last up to a standard month. The port side of the ship contained the compact crew quarters, each containing little more than a bunk to sleep on. Kurloh and Ja'Ina each claimed one of the quarters, and entered their respective rooms to put their belongings down before takeoff.

Ja'Ina set her rucksack and sword down on the bunk and turned to leave. Before she walked out into the corridor, a pulse registered through the Force, originating from somewhere around the bed. She turned around and slowly approached the bed, keeping her eyes peeled for the source. It was some sort of a life force, but she couldn't tell from what. It felt like nothing she had encountered before. After a moment, Ja'Ina was able to pinpoint it at the head of the bunk, next to the pillow where a lump showed under the blanket. She stood over the bed for a moment, apprehensively considering removing the covers.

Slowly and carefully, Ja'Ina reached down and moved the covers back from the pillow. She noticed a strange ball of brown fur about 30 centimeters in diameter sitting just below the pillow. It did not move as the young woman stood there staring at it. Ja'Ina focused her senses through the Force and verified that this thing was definitely the source of the life force.

_Is it alive?_ She wondered.

Ja'Ina bent over the bed to get a closer look at the object. She slowly reached her extended index finger down to touch it. Suddenly, a mouth popped wide open on the ball of fur, displaying rows of numerous small, yet sharp teeth and a nasty, screeching growl emitted from the maw. Ja'Ina jumped back with a piercing scream.

In an instant, Kurloh appeared at the doorway. "Ina! What is it?" Fitty quickly followed behind with his electro-prod extended, eager to hurt whoever attacked his mistress.

Ja'Ina stuttered incoherently as she pointed to the bed. Kurloh's eyes followed her friend's gesture toward the brown fur ball that turned around in its place to face those who disturbed its sleep. Fitty made a quiet whine, but the others didn't bother to look at his translation screen to see what he was saying.

It stared at them with its dark, beady eyes, which sat just above a small nose above its wide mouth. It yawned, showing jaws that opened wide enough to easily fit a person's hand inside. Then it got up on stubby, barely visible legs and tottered towards the foot of the bed, this time showing no signs of aggression. Kurloh and Ja'Ina slowly approached it.

"What is that thing?" The Togruta asked.

"He's a fitzgik," Kath answered from the doorway behind them. "His name is Skink. Come here, boy!"

Ja'Ina and Kurloh spun around to face the man who startled them; Fitty let out a loud blat. Skink quickly rolled like a fuzzy ball past their feet over to Kath. The fitzgik then jumped up into his arms and nuzzled him with a cute-sounding whine.

"A what?" Ja'Ina repeated.

"A fitzgik. I found him on a remote world in the CorpSec many years ago. A little research yielded his species' name, but not much else. Luckily he took a liking to me, and we've been together ever since."

Kurloh carefully approached Kath, and Skink reacted with a warning growl. "How come we've never seen him before?"

"I never take him to the track, and I guess he just never came up in our conversations. It slipped my mind to mention him to you before you came aboard. Sorry!" He gave Ja'Ina and Kurloh an apologetic smile. "Despite his small size, he's actually a good home guardian, as well as companion."

Ja'Ina apprehensively studied the sphere of fur in Kath's arms. "H-he's kinda cute, I suppose."

Skink looked straight at the young woman and purred as if he were responding to her compliment.

Kath laughed. "And he's very smart too! Sometimes I wonder if he's got some sentience about him."

Kurloh and Ja'Ina traded incredulous looks.

"Anyway, we should lift off. Etti IV's not getting any closer!" He put Skink down and made his way to the cockpit with the fitzgik rolling right behind him.

Kurloh, Ja'Ina and Fitty followed right behind into the _Fool's Pride_'s cockpit. Kath sat at the pilot's station. Ja'Ina made her way to the co-pilot's station next to him, but was unexpectedly cut off by Skink, who quickly jumped up onto the chair and gave her a warning grunt. Kurloh snickered through her hand as she sat at the communications station, having watched the exchange.

"That's Skink's seat," Kath said matter-of-factly.

"_Skink's_ seat?" asked Ja'Ina. "Surely he can't fly the ship, can he?"

"Of course not, but it's still his seat. Just go sit at shield ops." He thumbed back at the seat behind him.

Ja'Ina complied and Fitty rolled up next to her, sounding out a string of beeps. She read on his screen, "_I am not comfortable with that animal around. What if it attacks you or Kurloh?_"

"You're worrying again, Fitty. I don't think Skink will harm us."

"Of course he won't harm you," Kath called over his shoulder as he entered in commands for the launch sequence.

The astromech blatted again. "_That remains to be seen._"

Ja'Ina lightly slapped the top of the droid's domed head. "That's enough," she quietly ordered.

A deep hum filled the cockpit as the engines powered up. The ship shuddered slightly as she lifted off of the landing gear and rose into the air. Within a few minutes, the _Fool's Pride_ crossed the transition from the atmosphere into space. At that point, the bumpy ride became smooth as shimmersilk.

Even though Ja'Ina traveled into space many times since then, her thoughts went back to the day when she and Soraa first left their homeworld over a year ago – that first experience of breaking out of the atmosphere. The lifelong friends were in absolute awe with the expansive view of the stars in front of them and the sight of the world they called home behind them. Back then, they were innocent and naïve, having no idea of what lay ahead, that they would be brought aboard the _Queen Valkyrie_. It seemed to be a lifetime ago. Over the months that followed, they lived the life of adventure they had been longing for, and that memory made Ja'Ina smile.

But then she remembered Soraa's death again, and she had to fight the sadness that washed over her. She called on the Force to help her find peace. Focusing inward and connecting with the power that binds all living things together helped pull Ja'Ina back to the present and the new experiences she looked forward to. It also helped her to focus more on all the good times she had with Soraa and she smiled again, the bad things all but forgotten.

Ja'Ina looked over at Kurloh, who had been watching her the whole time. Having felt Ja'Ina's pain and recovery through the Force, the Togruta knowingly nodded with a slight smile.


	11. Chapter 11

**== Chapter Eleven ==**

Captain Davege sat in his quarters aboard the ISD _Prosecutor_, reading texts on the history of the Galactic Republic as he often did in his brief moments of down time. He was particularly fascinated with the role the Jedi Order had filled during the many different wars that had raged thousands of years ago. In those days, the Jedi Order was a proud, battle-tested force that fought alongside with the Old Republic's military against the recurring threats of the Sith Empire. He was impressed most by the lightsaber and the art with which the Jedi wielded it. Unlike clumsy ranged weapons or messy explosives, the lightsaber was powerful, precise and elegant; designed for efficiency and beauty in its use. It made combat less about destruction and more about creative expression. It made combat something worth watching.

Serving in the Navy in the final decades of the Republic, Davege didn't see many Jedi in combat until the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Before that, the Jedi Order he saw were nothing more than a bunch of untouchable mystics sitting holier-than-thou in their great Temple. He thought they weren't much better in the Clone Wars.

While the Jedi in the time of the Old Republic were a formidable and integral counterpart to the conventional military forces, Davege saw the Jedi of the Clone Wars as out of place, tacked-on to the clone armies like an afterthought. Sure, the Jedi were still skillful warriors, but they were merely a shadow of those in the days of old.

What really burned Davege was how every Jedi was immediately bestowed the rank of general when the Clone Wars began.

_General! It takes decades of hard work and dedication in the military to earn the right to be called 'general'… _

Davege was further aggravated by the fact that even the Padawans were made commanders. _I would've rather commissioned bunch of Jawas as fleet admirals_, he once said at a conference, which elicited much laughter.

At the time, Davege was certain this was the final nail in the Republic's coffin. Still, he proudly served the Republic Navy up until the very end, all while anticipating the ramifications. The Republic's mistake really came back to bite hard when the Jedi turned against it, which was something even he didn't expect.

Perhaps in centuries to come, certain historians may try to condemn Emperor Palpatine as a sadistic mass-murderer, but Davege saw the Jedi Purge as a necessity. In the centuries since the Sith Empire was destroyed, the Jedi had grown complacent with their revered status, and when all was said and done they never really did much for the Republic they were supposed to have served. As far as Davege was concerned, the Jedi Order simply wasn't needed anymore. It was hindering the progress the Republic needed to undergo in order to uphold its greatness. The Jedi's treachery was the perfect justification needed to rid the Republic of the dead weight. It was hard for Davege to believe it had already been twenty years since then, but he was even more proud to serve the Empire than he was the Republic.

As Davege reclined in his chair and took a sip of spiced tea, the intercom alert sounded on his desk's console. "What is it?" was his curt response.

"Jorn here, sir," the _Prosecutor_'s medical chief replied. "We've completed analysis of Gamma-342's crew."

"Let's have it then."

"Uh, Captain, I think it's best you, uh, come down here in person."

Davege sat silent for a moment, contemplating Jorn's words. He had served with the medical officer for close to ten years now and knew from his concerned tone that it must really require his presence. "Very well, I'll be there shortly," Davege snapped as he stood up and deactivated the comm.

* * *

><p>The Captain made his way to the ship's main med-bay as quickly as the turbolifts and his feet could take him. His boots clacked loudly on the deck plates as he strode briskly through the corridors. Crew and trooper alike knew to step out of his way unless they wanted to risk some sort of disciplinary consequence. The med-bay's entrance door quickly whooshed open as Davege approached, allowing him to enter without even a slight pause in his stride.<p>

Davege walked up to Jorn, who was standing over an examination table, upon which lay one of the deceased listening station personnel, stripped and covered waist-down with a sheet. Scanning equipment hung closely over the dead man.

"Okay Doctor, what's so important that I have to visit your shop of horrors?"

Jorn looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Sir, as I've said, post-mortems on the station crew have been completed. However, you may find the results, uh, interesting."

Davege rubbed the top of his polished bald head. "Well, are you going to tell me, or will I need an interrogator droid to rip it out of you?" He was half-joking, but was growing annoyed with Jorn's hesitation nonetheless.

Jorn activated the medical scanners and they went to work on the corpse. "Take a look here," he said, pointing to the holo-projector.

Davege impatiently crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the display. It started from the feet and slowly panned upwards. He was by no stretch of the imagination a doctor, but he could recognize the outlines of bone, muscle, internal organs and so forth. His impatience peaked by the time the scan reached the chest since nothing looked unusual up to that point. Looking over at Jorn, ready to scold him, he missed what he was supposed to see.

"There," Jorn blurted as he pointed to the image.

Davege quickly turned his attention back to the display, which had stopped at the man's head. He looked at it with a slight scowl of annoyance. "I see nothing-"

"Exactly sir, nothing!" Jorn quickly interrupted him. "_Nothing_'s there! Not a damn thing!"

The Captain focused more intently on the holo-projector's image. His eyes narrowed when he realized what Jorn was referring to. While the head appeared to be fully intact, the cranium was completely devoid of any brain tissue.

He quizzically looked back at his chief medical officer. "He has no-"

"That's right sir," Jorn cut in. "His brain's been completely removed."

Davege was clearly incredulous. "Removed? How?"

"How indeed! It took me a little while to figure it out, since the method left no outward signs of trauma. After running several scans from different angles, I found a pair of small holes in the back of the victim's sinuses leading straight into the brain cavity. Every bit of the brain was apparently drawn out through those holes and out the nostrils." Jorn clearly expressed excitement about his macabre discovery.

"But drawn out by what? Some kind of weapon? A creature?"

"I have my suspicions," Jorn said with an ambiguous smile, "but I need to conduct some more research before I can say with any certainty. What I can tell you is that everyone on Gamma-342 suffered the same fate as this poor soul." He gestured to the body on the table.

Davege stared at the dead man and ground his teeth as he always did whenever he was deep in thought. He then turned to Jorn. "I want you to let me know what you find as soon as you _decide_ you're confident enough to share it with me, Doctor."

"Of course, sir! Of course!"

Without acknowledging Jorn's reply, Davege walked over to a console and activated the comlink. "Davege to bridge."

After a moment, a response from the communications officer crackled over the speaker. "Bridge here, sir."

"I want you to contact the sector commander and route the secure comm channel to my quarters. Also, send out an encrypted message to nearby outposts to be on the lookout for any unusual visitors…rebel or _otherwise_. Instruct them to report back immediately if they see _anything_ out of sorts."

"Yes, sir," was the reply.

Davege deactivated the comlink and stepped out of the med-bay, calling back to Jorn just before the door closed behind him. "I'll be in my quarters."

* * *

><p>The <em>Queen Valkyrie<em> rested planet-side on Yuulin ever since she landed there several months ago. Berini considered it the perfect safe haven for her and her crew after they narrowly escaped the Imperial forces on Orvax IV. When they first arrived, Berini wasn't sure when she'd want to set off again. But now she wasn't sure if she'd ever want to set off again, which was straining the crew's morale even more as each month passed. Nonetheless, the crew has proved very loyal to their captain and remained with her regardless of their own wants.

In the meantime, the customized Corellian Corvette needed continual maintenance to ensure flightworthiness. Regular diagnostic tests and subsystem exercises were required especially since the ship had been immobile for such a long time. She was, after all, meant to be flown.

On the compact bridge, the Zeltron pilot Mylyn and the Theelin comm officer Gartia ran through regularly scheduled tests.

"…All systems are 'Go' for main drive start-up, Mylyn," came Yurlya's voice over the speakers from Engineering.

"Very good; stand by for ignition," the pilot replied as she flipped a few switches. She glanced over at Gartia, who was in her own little world conducting communications subsystem tests, as the main engines rumbled to life.

Mylyn closely monitored the gauges on her console while the sublight drives ran at idling speed. After a short time, the engines powered down and were silent again.

"Everything looks good this time," Mylyn called into the comlink with a satisfied smile.

"Great, thanks." The sound of relief in Yurlya's voice then turned into frustration. "If we would just occasionally take a quick orbital trip, it'd make a big difference in keeping things running well."

"You know the Captain doesn't want to go anywhere for now."

Yurlya let out a grunting sigh that Mylyn and Gartia could hear over the com. "Making the ship sit still gives me a lot of unnecessary maintenance work! I'd rather work on upgrades than mundane fixes!"

"Griping to me doesn't do anything, Yurlya. Take it up with Berini if it bugs you that much."

"Whatever," Yurlya grunted. "Engineering out."

Gartia had just put her comlink headset down when an alarm rang out on her console. She looked over the indicators and traded confused looks with Mylyn.

"What, another test?" Mylyn asked over the annoying sound.

"Hold on," replied Gartia as she re-donned her headset and turned her attention back to her console. After a few keystrokes and indicator checks, she worriedly glanced back at the Zeltron and switched her comlink to the ship-wide public-address channel. "All hands, we have a proximity alert! I repeat, proximity alert! To your stations! This is not a drill!"

Mylyn jumped over to shield ops to ready the deflector screens. "Gartia, what's their bearing?"

"Seventy degrees to port, elevation three-point-two kilometers and descending."

"Status report!" barked Myrrna, who suddenly barged onto the bridge from her quarters in the lower part of the cylindrical bow section of the ship.

"We have an unknown ship approaching," replied Gartia.

"Any signs of hostility?"

"None yet, but I've ID'd the model as a Skipray Blastboat."

"That's a heavy fighter used by the Empire! Angle the deflector screens and get the turbolasers manned!"

Mylyn turned from the shield ops console to face the Twi'lek first mate. "But, they haven't shown any aggression. Shouldn't we hail them first?"

Myrrna got right in the Zeltron's face. "No! You _will_ get those screens up or you'll find yourself sleeping in carbonite for insubordination!"

"There's only one of them and they haven't-"

"That's enough, _both_ of you!" ordered Berini, who had just entered the bridge. "Myrrna's right, we can't take any chances until we know who they are."

"Y-yes Captain!" Mylyn stammered in response as she activated the deflectors. Concurrently, Gartia sent out instructions to ready the dorsal guns.

* * *

><p>"Alright!" Rann cheered as she hobbled as quickly as her cybernetic leg would allow down the corridor to one of the turbolaser turrets. "Finally, some excitement!"<p>

Juun trotted alongside of her, also excited but not quite in the same way as her friend. "I know you're eager to blast whoever it is out of the sky but we can't be too hasty."

"C'mon, don't you think I know that?" Rann said as she reached one of the turrets. "I may love to shoot, but I'm not some kind of mindless warmonger!" she called back as she stepped through the hatch.

"Sometimes I wonder," Juun muttered to herself with a smile.

Rann settled into the chair and fastened the harness. After flipping some switches, the holographic heads-up-display flickered on and the turret came to life with a deep hum. "I'm good to go," she called into her comlink.

In her headset, Rann could hear Gartia's reply of "Understood. Stand by."

Rann took the turret controls firmly in hand and brought the cannon up towards the incoming ship. She carefully tracked it as it approached, ready to shoot it down at the first sign of hostility. Her heart pounded in her chest, partly due to the excitement of the potential of shooting down an Imperial vessel, but also nervousness due to the uncertainty of the situation. While it was true that the Empire employed Skiprays, a good number of the ships also found their way into the hands of private owners, some of whom were not the friendliest of sorts. Either way, Rann tightly clamped her grip around the controls; ready to defend her ship if she had to, whomever it was that was in her sights.

On the bridge, Berini stood right behind Gartia. "See if you can hail the intruder."

"Yes, Captain," she replied. "Approaching Skipray, this is the pirate ship _Queen Valkyrie_. Identify yourself or risk being shot down. This is your only warning."

Berini allowed the intruder a few moments to respond. The order to fire was gathering up in her breath when the reply came in over the console speaker.

A male voice responded. "_Queen Valkyrie_, this is the freighter _Skimmer_. Please hold your fire, I just want to land."

Berini cynically shook her head. "'Freighter'?" she quietly scoffed to Myrrna. "This idiot's just some damned smuggler." She had dealt with smugglers from time to time, but in general she didn't like them much. Her path had been crossed by too many smugglers who transported slaves.

Berini leaned in over the console. "Negative, _Skimmer_. Go find somewhere else to park your…_freighter_."

"Wait! Is Rann Klepil aboard your ship?" A hint of nervousness showed in the voice through the comm speaker.

Confusion filled the bridge at the mention of Rann's name. To say that it was surprising that this stranger apparently knew her was a great understatement. Berini made sure that her crew kept a low profile while they were on Yuulin. Most of them had only minor interaction with the locals, except for those who actually held jobs off-ship, most notably Ja'Ina and Kurloh. Rann would have been one who had almost no contact with anyone off the ship, having to remain onboard much of the time performing the duties of Chief of Security.

"Captain of the _Skimmer_, identify yourself," Berini commanded.

"Den Berikko."

Berini remembered Rann mentioning his name after the Grand Prix. She muted the comm channel with a grunting sigh. "Gartia, let Rann know that she has a…visitor."

"Shall I permit him to land?"

"Let him sweat for a bit. If Rann wants to see Den Berikko, then he can land."

"Yes, Captain."

* * *

><p>"You've gotta be kidding me!" Rann exclaimed at the mention of Den's name over her comlink headset. She stared out at the <em>Skimmer<em>, which still hung directly in her line of fire.

"This guy must really _like_ you, Rann," Juun replied. Rann could almost hear her snarky smile through the comlink.

Rann hesitated for a moment. She couldn't believe that Den was here, and that he was here specifically for her. _What the kark does this guy want with me?_

"Alright, let him land, I'll be right down," Rann finally answered as she powered down her turbolaser turret.


	12. Chapter 12

**== Chapter Twelve ==**

The _Skimmer_ came to a rest in the clearing about one-hundred meters away from the _Queen Valkyrie_ with the Skipray's characteristic large vertical stabilizers rotated to the horizontal landing position. Most of the _Valkyrie_'s crew was waiting right outside of Den's ship, all well-armed with Berini and Rann out front. The hatch opened and Den slowly emerged. He was immediately met with numerous blasters raised in his general direction. Instinctively, he put his hands up.

"Check him and his ship," ordered Berini. Taam and Yurlya quickly flanked him and confiscated his blaster while Juun and Teedai disappeared into the _Skimmer_.

With a nervous chuckle, Den said, "Don't worry. I haven't come here to harm anyone. Honest!" He put his hands down and panned his gaze across the female pirates, noting their varied attire, some of which was racy, and smiled happily at the sight. "It's my pleasure to meet all of you." He gave a slight bow in a display of respect.

Berini stepped forward, glaring at Den. "State your business, Mister Berikko."

"Well, Captain, uhhh…" He slightly tilted his head towards Berini to get her to share her name, but her unpleasant glare remained locked, so he continued. "Captain, I hope that Rann has mentioned me to you. We met the other day at the Grand Prix."

"Yes, she has," Berini sternly replied. "And she also mentioned that you saved one of my girls."

"You must mean Ja'Ina. Yes, I did. Someone tried to send her to a fiery early retirement, but I managed to stop them."

"But why?" asked Rann as she stepped up.

"Because she's your friend, Rann," Den answered with a smile.

Rann looked at him with a raised eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

Den chuckled. "Okay, I had also put a fair amount of money on her. But that was before I met you, honest!"

"So would you have still helped her if she wasn't my friend?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I'm really not sure if I would've or not. But that's neither here nor there now, is it? The fact is that I had _two_ good reasons to help out, so I did."

Berini crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not such an altruistic soul after all. If you came here expecting some kind of reward, then you're sadly mistaken."

Den shook his head. "Nope, not at all Captain. As I've said, I came to see Rann. After meeting her at the race track, I decided I wanted to get to know her better." He winked at Rann, which made her heart skip a beat, the second time he affected her that way.

Berini wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Usually, her strongest instinct towards her crew was that of matronly protection, and Rann was one of her special cases. Rann had lost her family during the Clone Wars when she was a teenager, and Berini took her in many years later after she was betrayed and tortured by the Empire.

But this time the protectiveness she felt for the younger woman didn't seem to apply. In the end Berini was Rann's captain, not her mother, and being thirty-five Rann was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Den seemed to be on the level, but Berini knew to not trust anyone too quickly. Still, she had to force herself to step aside and let Rann interact with him however she felt.

Juun and Teedai emerged from the _Skimmer_. "Everything's clean," Juun reported.

"Very well," Berini replied. She then turned her attention back to Den. "You are welcome to join us aboard the _Valkyrie_ only if Rann wants you to. Will you behave or do we need to get out the stun cuffs?"

"Certainly not, Captain," Den said. "Despite whatever notions you have of me, I'm really quite civilized. Honest!"

Berini straightened her intimidating stature and put her hands on her hips. "Fates help you if you step out of line even the slightest bit."

Rann began to feel like a teenager being smothered by an obsessive mother. "Berini, if you don't mind, I'd rather talk to Den _alone_." She gave her captain an annoyed frown, which surprised Berini.

"Of course, my dear," Berini replied as she relaxed her stance, realizing that she probably stepped way beyond the line with Rann.

Taam handed Den his blaster and leaned in close to him. "Here ya go, luvaboy," the Twi'lek playfully whispered.

"Follow me," Rann said to Den, indicating a direction away from the others and into the woods to get some privacy.

* * *

><p>On their first night on Etti IV, Ja'Ina and Kurloh decided to go out and have some fun. Kath recommended a place called the Free-Flight Dance Dome, a popular club that was famous for having dance floors with variable gravity. As the name suggested, patrons would enjoy the feeling of weightlessness as they danced to the music. Being a serious dancer herself, Ja'Ina was looking forward to trying out zero-g moves.<p>

The two friends walked down the street, dressed for their night out. Ja'Ina wore a flowing, alluring ensemble made of lustrous shimmersilk and sheer zoosha fabric which displayed a significant amount of her honey-brown skin. Kurloh wore a skintight catsuit with numerous strategically-placed cutouts all over, the most significant being an opening in the front which exposed her torso from just below her chest to well below her navel. Some of the white lines detailing the Togruta's orange-brown complexion were prominently displayed through the large cutout. Through the Force, Kurloh and Ja'Ina could sense the varying levels of attraction from males around them. They smiled knowingly at each other.

Expecting no trouble, neither of them chose to carry their weapons, nor bring Fitty along. As usual, the astromech droid wasn't happy with being left behind. But being ever loyal, he chose to obey his mistresses and guard their hotel room.

Ja'Ina and Kurloh arrived at the entrance of the club; the loud, throbbing dance music filled their ears with hypnotic sounds that invited them to move to the relentless beats. Next to the entrance was a small poster. Kurloh took a closer look at it:

_Wanted, dead or alive; preferably dead – Han Solo.  
>Guilty of treacherous theft and grievous assault.<br>Reward of 20,000 credits offered by Ploovo Two-For-One. Inquire within._

In the center of the poster was a picture of the wanted man. He was ruggedly handsome with dark hair and a smug smile. But something about the image seemed to also display a sense of integrity and honor. It didn't seem quite right to Kurloh that this Han Solo character would deserve to have a price on his head.

"What is it, Ku?" Ja'Ina asked as she stepped up next to the Togruta.

Kurloh turned to her friend. "Nothing that concerns us, Ina. Let's go inside and cut loose!"

Ja'Ina smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

><p>Inside, the Free-Flight Dance Dome was packed from floor to rafters with patrons. The only significant lighting came from various lumas that bathed the dance floor with bright multicolored light pulsing to the rhythms of the music. Between the music and the countless conversations fighting to be heard over the music, the noise was absolutely deafening. The powerful beats of the dance music reverberated in Ja'Ina's and Kurloh's insides, but also rendered Kurloh's horn-like montrals useless for their normal ultrasonic echolocation functions. It would take a normal Togruta some time to get used to not having that extra sense, but Kurloh's connection with the Force more than compensated for it.<p>

The dance floor, or more accurately the air above the dance floor, was filled with patrons moving to the rhythms of the music. The main attraction of the Free-Flight Dance Dome was the variable gravity dance floor, and for that reason alone the club was arguably the most popular destination on Etti IV.

Being a good dancer, Ja'Ina was excited to try her moves in the weightless environment. She grabbed Kurloh's arm and started to pull her towards the dance floor. "C'mon Ku! It looks like fun!"

The Togruta shook her head. "You go ahead. I'm gonna get a drink. Just don't break anything! You need to start the race in one piece." She winked at Ja'Ina, who then turned and happily trotted towards the dance floor.

The young woman got to the edge of the dance floor and jumped into the air over it. Immediately, she felt the pull of gravity on her body vanish. To her surprise, Ja'Ina began to feel a bit nauseous and disoriented so she tried to keep herself upright and swung her arms in such a way as to slow her upward momentum. Tapping into the swirling currents of the Force, she was able to get a better sense of the distinction between the zero-g and normal areas of the club to help alleviate her disorientation.

Ja'Ina scanned her surroundings in the crowded airspace above the floor. Most of the other dancers were either human or near-human and were oriented in many different angles. The females' outfits varied much more wildly than the males', ranging anywhere from stylishly modest, to barely meeting the minimum requirements for public decency on any civilized planet.

Once she grew accustomed to the weightless environment, Ja'Ina began to feel the music with her very being, and her body started moving without any thought. She started with a slow, graceful horizontal spin with the light fabric of her outfit trailing around her like the arms of a spiral galaxy. With a high kick of her left foot, she launched into a head-over-heels tumble. As she drew her arms and legs closer into her body, her rotation speed increased. Extending her limbs, Ja'Ina's tumble slowed down dramatically. She stopped her tumble altogether by swinging her fists into the spin.

Ja'Ina then began to gyrate to the music as if she were dancing on solid ground. She let her motions carry her however they would in the gravity-free environment. In spite of the noisy, crowded nature of the club, she felt as relaxed as if she were silently meditating in her quarters. Ja'Ina began to lose herself in the music and the soothing embrace of weightlessness. That is, until someone touched her.

A firm grab of Ja'Ina's leg pulled her back to reality. She yelped and looked down, or up, depending on the frame of reference, at her intruder. What she saw was a drunkenly amorous man beaming a sloppy smile at her as he admired her bared leg. He pulled on her leg, bringing them closer together. With her free leg, she kicked him in the face. When he didn't let go, she kicked him again. The second kick pushed him off of her and he flew uncontrollably spinning away from her and crashed into a group of female Twi'leks who proceeded to beat on him and scream a chorus of Twi'leki curses at him.

Ja'Ina's kick had also pushed her in the opposite direction. Through the Force she sensed that she was quickly headed towards the edge of the zero-g field. Without trying to redirect her momentum she let herself fly through the invisible boundary and allowed Etti IV's gravity pull her down towards the club floor a few meters below her.

As she fell, Ja'Ina executed a perfect flip and landed solidly on her feet. The patrons around her all cheered and applauded at the sight. She responded by giving her audience a slight bow.

Kurloh stepped out of the crowd toward Ja'Ina. "Are you done showing off yet?" she asked with a playful roll of the eyes and shake of the head.

"Nah, I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Well, I think you've had enough of warming up, Ina. You can't race with a broken leg!"

Ja'Ina grabbed Kurloh's shoulder. "Okay, okay, you've got a good point there."

"Here," Kurloh said as she handed Ja'Ina a drink. "Your favorite – Naiana wine."

"Thanks," said Ja'Ina as she took a sip of the sweet, mildly intoxicating beverage made on Cerea. She rarely drank alcohol since she didn't like how it dimmed her senses and slowed her reflexes, but Naiana suited her well when she did imbibe.

The two friends spent the rest of the evening in the Free-Flight enjoying the sights and sounds, and each other's company. Soon they would get their first experience with swoop racing in an event larger than any they ever participated in on Yuulin.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: you may have noticed the wanted poster that Ja'Ina and Kurloh read outside of the club. This poster actually references events in <span>Han Solo at Stars' End<span> by Brian Daley. This book is one of the earliest of the so-called 'EU' literature published, and one of the first I read long ago. Some of the locations and concepts in Darkness in the Light (and The Best Laid Plans, for that matter) came from that one, as it really stuck with me over the years. I highly recommend reading the entire trilogy of Han Solo adventures by Daley, which takes place a couple of years BBY._


End file.
